Forty-year incumbent upset in run-off election

The final results of 38 run-off municipal elections were announced late Tuesday night, with one mayoral candidate upsetting an incumbent who ran city hall for the past 40 years.

In the town of Pardesiya, just outside Netanya, 40-year incumbent Yitzhak Yemini lost to upstart Tal Gorki.

Run-off elections were held Tuesday after neither candidate in the first round held last month received 40 percent of the vote. Voter turnout just barely broke 50% in the second round of voting, but in the cities of Herzliya and Petah Tikva only 33% and 35% of the voters made it to the polls.

In central Israel, Moshe Pedlon defeated Tzvika Hadar by a wide margin in the Herzliya election, and in Petah Tikva Itzik Braverman ousted incumbent Uri Ohad. Yehud’s Yaela Maklis became the third woman to win a mayoral election this year.

In the northern Israeli town of Afula, Yitzhak Meron eked out 200-vote advantage over Avi Elkabetz, but the final result will only be announced after soldiers’ votes are tabulated.