Photo by Skip Lawrence Mayor-elect Randy McClement waves to supporters after boarding his billboard truck for a brief ride through Frederick on Wednesday. The morning was busy for McClement with many interviews and meetings. ELECTION DAY MULTIMEDIA SLIDE SHOW: Election day photos VIDEO: Jason Judd offers his concession speech VIDEO: Mayor-elect Randy McClement talks about his win, looks forward to taking the city’s top seat. SLIDE SHOW: McClement, Judd after the results come in

With a mayor elected to his first public office, Frederick 's government will stand untested in the face of what could be the city's most financially challenging year in decades.

The returns made it clear that city voters were not swayed by the well-funded and enthusiastic mayoral campaign of Democrat Jason Judd, a labor union executive. A majority gave their vote to bagel shop owner Randy McClement, a Republican who ran a campaign at nearly a third of the cost of Judd's.

Some observers said voters were bringing the ousted board to task for decisions they made in the last four years. Others said the competition was too talented and overwhelming for the incumbents.

Five newcomers -- Democrats Karen Young, Carol Krimm, Kelly Russell and Michael O'Connor, and Republican Shelley Aloi -- will vote on city legislation for the next four years.

"It's a big surprise," said Len Latkovski, professor of history at Hood College. "On the Board of Aldermen, it seems to be pretty clear both Democrats and Republicans were unhappy with the current board."

Aldermanic dissatisfaction

The three incumbent aldermen who made it through September's primary failed to win back their seats.

Democrat Donna Kuzemchak will end a 12-year aldermanic career.

"Clear from the beginning, I said we had some amazing candidates and we can't take anything for granted," she said.

Rather than blaming any single board vote for her defeat, Kuzemchak accused Mayor Jeff Holtzinger of running a smear campaign the day before the election.

He sent an e-mail asking if the alderwoman directed city staff to spruce up Baker Park for her son's wedding on Saturday. Local talk radio picked up on the query.

When she reserved the area around the park's bell tower, Kuzemchak said, she was told it would look nice.

"At no point in time was I told this was being done specially (for me)," she said, adding she would compensate the city if park employees worked extra hours to mulch the park.

The episode may not have cost her the election, but she said Holtzinger "has abused his power in office more than any mayor I have worked with."

Alderman C. Paul Smith, a Republican, also credited a strong slate of candidates for his defeat.

Smith said his support of contentious annexations may have cost him some votes.

The city, in September, annexed two large farms on its north side, sparking a feud with the Frederick County Commissioners over infrastructure concerns. A petition for referendum captured thousands of signatures.

Smith criticized the commissioners, accusing them of wanting to control the city's growth and derailing plans for important road projects.

"I, in a sense, took a little bit of a risk," he said.

Republican Alderman Alan Imhoff ran a low-key campaign, similar to the one that won him his first term in 2005.

That might not have been the best strategy given a voter turnout of 22.5 percent, he said.

"I did what I did four years ago. Unfortunately, about 10 percent less people turned out at the polls."

Alderwoman Marcia Hall, who decided early not to run again, said she was not sure the incumbents' ouster was a response to their past decisions. Tenacious competition would have made it hard for any incumbent this year, she said.

"Both tickets were extremely strong," Hall said.

Michael Powell, a professor of history at Frederick Community College, said the race had no central issue but some issues likely caused some people to vote for new names.

"If there were concerns, I think the buyout by this last Board of Aldermen weighed on people's minds," he said.

The buyout or early retirement incentive program was meant to save money by clearing out top ranking city employees near retirement. The program, which involved a two-year salary payout, was later to be found financially flawed and a potential drain on city finances.

"Certainly it shows voter dissatisfaction," Powell said of Tuesday's result.

A close race

Voters did not have a chance to vote out Mayor Jeff Holtzinger, who decided against running for a second term. Instead, they got to choose one of two new candidates.

Judd said he was busy Wednesday catching up with family tasks he had been unable to address during the campaign.

In the morning, he said he marked the first anniversary of President Barack Obama's election by volunteering at the Frederick Community Action Agency food bank.

"We expected it to be close," he said of the mayoral vote.

The contrast between the candidates became more apparent at forums in the last two weeks of the race, he said.

Hood professor Latkovski said Judd's defeat could be tied to three events.

A smear campaign by the Frederick County Republican Central Committee damaged Judd's image among moderates, he said. The committee tried to tie Judd, who works for the Service Employees International Union, with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. The organization, which has associations with SEIU, has been tied to voter fraud and a recent scandal where ACORN workers provided legal and tax advice to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.

Latkovski said Judd also failed to get the public support of a few key Democrats whom he declined to name.

"The third factor is the fact that Jason has been involved in Frederick for only two years," he said. "That's a legitimate issue."

McClement pointed that out at candidate forums.

Hall, a Democrat, said she knew it would be a close race but McClement's visibility and years of involvement in the community would pay off in the end.

"I think when it came down to it, maybe the voters were asking for someone who paid their dues."