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Two incumbents lose St. Charles council seats; one by single vote.

Source: stltoday.com

TL;DR

Two St. Charles City Council incumbents lost their seats in the April 7 municipal election.
Bill Otto lost Ward 1 to Chris Kyle by one vote, 572-571; Denise Mitchell won Ward 5 over Connie Hall.
Close races show voter turnout can decide local representation on issues like development and parks.

The story at a glance

Two incumbents lost St. Charles City Council seats in the April 7, 2026, municipal election, including a one-vote defeat in Ward 1. Bill Otto fell to challenger Chris Kyle in Ward 1, while Mark A. Hollander held off Tom Besselman in Ward 2, and Denise Mitchell beat Connie Hall in Ward 5. The results come amid local debates on data centers, parks, and growth, with all precincts now reporting unofficial tallies.[[1]](https://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/st-charles-county)[[2]](https://www.midriversnewsmagazine.com/news/on-the-ballot-candidates-in-the-april-7-municipal-election/article_c25ba2a1-3e7c-4033-846d-0c886ccdaf22.html)

Key points

Ward 1: Chris Kyle defeated incumbent Bill Otto 572 votes (49.9%) to 571 (49.8%), all 6 precincts reporting.[[1]](https://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/st-charles-county)
Ward 2: Incumbent Mark A. Hollander led Tom Besselman 407 (46.9%) to 354 (40.8%), with Venetia Powell at 84 (9.7%); 4 of 4 precincts.[[1]](https://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/st-charles-county)
Ward 4: Scott Shipman beat incumbent Mary West 520 (64.5%) to 283 (35.1%); 5 of 5 precincts.[[1]](https://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/st-charles-county)
Ward 5: Incumbent Connie Hall lost to Denise Mitchell 288 (19.0%) to 1,212 (80.1%); 7 of 7 precincts.[[1]](https://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/st-charles-county)
Wards 3 (Vincent F. Ratchford, unopposed) and others saw no reported changes.

Details and context

Incumbents Bill Otto (Ward 1, elected 2023) and Mary West (Ward 4) lost to challengers in tight fields; Otto's defeat by one vote may prompt a recount under Missouri rules for margins under 1%.[[2]](https://www.midriversnewsmagazine.com/news/on-the-ballot-candidates-in-the-april-7-municipal-election/article_c25ba2a1-3e7c-4033-846d-0c886ccdaf22.html) Tom Besselman, a former councilman who served 12 years before running for mayor in 2023, challenged Hollander but fell short.[[2]](https://www.midriversnewsmagazine.com/news/on-the-ballot-candidates-in-the-april-7-municipal-election/article_c25ba2a1-3e7c-4033-846d-0c886ccdaf22.html)

Denise Mitchell, a six-year incumbent, held Ward 5 easily against Hall. Races drew attention over city plans to sell parks and allow data centers, with candidates split on bans.[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.stcwater.org/posts/2010366976569827)

St. Charles uses ward-based elections every three years; turnout was typical for municipal races, around 20-30% countywide.

Key quotes

None sourced directly in visible article content.

Why it matters

Voter shifts signal pushback on development and park sales in growing St. Charles suburbs.

Residents gain new voices on council for local budgets, zoning, and services like roads and safety.

Watch for Ward 1 recount certification and new council's first votes on data centers or parks, expected in May.