Jim Riticher Says Clean Sweep Candidates Got Folks’ Attention

Jim Riticher is the only one of the three ‘Clean Sweep Candidates’ to be elected to City Council on Tuesday but, he says they made a difference around Dunwoody. 

“If you look at our slate vs. their slate, we took 49 percent, they took 46 percent,” he said. “While that doesn’t translate into anything on Council, it’s worth noting.” 

Riticher is referring to himself, Henly Shelton and Sam Eads, compared to Heyward Wescott, Doug Thompson and Denis Shortal.

There was no incumbent in Riticher and Wescott’s District 2 race. Shelton lost by a margin to incumbent Denis Shelton in District 1, and Thompson narrowly beat Eads in District 3.

“I’ve been pretty clear on what I want to see in my campaign. I’d just like to see people listened to a little better, and have that done on the front end rather than the middle of the project,” Riticher said.

A disappointed Shelton said Denis Shortal ran a clean campaign. “The people turned out for him and he won. I wanted to see that we could have some competition. He won it fair and square and I support him,” he said.

Before the election, Shortal told Patch that the key to public service is doing what you told people you would do, and he believes he has done that. “That is the number one thing I’ve done since I’ve been in office,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not popular. That doesn’t mean I don’t try. I saw a tremendous need in this community that I guess I thought I knew I could do better.”