COOS BAY — A business owner from downtown Coos Bay and another from Empire will join the Coos Bay City Council.

Antiques dealer Joanie Johnson and music entrepreneur John Pundt won council seats Tuesday, along with incumbents Jon Eck and Gene Melton.

Johnson was elated by the news Tuesday night: “Oh wow. I’m absolutely floored! Wow. Wow. That is super. I’m honored.”

She said she was glad to see Melton and Eck returning to the council, as well as Mayor Jeff McKeown.

“I’m very pleased,” she said. “Jeff is so good with public relations. He’s a man of integrity.”

She said her priorities will be to develop a shopping district and move the Hollering Place project forward.

“Those two things will benefit our community the most,” she said.

With 97 percent of the votes counted this morning, Eck had 2,983 votes, or 18 percent. Johnson was close behind with 2,873. Melton had 2,612, or 16 percent.

Pundt had 1,706 votes, or 10.5 percent, putting him ahead of fellow Empire resident Thomas Kramer, who had 1,383 votes, or 8.5 percent.

Pundt, owner of Stray Kats Bar and ORCoast Music, said he had heard a lot of people who liked that he is concerned about the role of small businesses in the community. He also said people seemed encouraged by his promises that he would reach out to voters and use their input to make decisions.

“I really want to get a handle on how our government operates here locally and get a feel for what the citizens want,” he said.

When the returns came in, Melton said he was pleased with what he saw.

“We are keeping some good people on the council, and it looks like we are getting some good new ones, too,” he said.

Eck said he looks forward to working with the new councilors and setting goals.

“I don’t have all the answers, so I’m interested in seeing what the new councilors would like to work on,” he said.

Kramer attributed his loss to being less well-known in Eastside and downtown Coos Bay than in Empire. He also said some people were confused about his identity.

“Most people know me as Captain Thomas,” he said. “People would come up to me and ask ‘Is your last name Kramer?’”

He was glad that even if he couldn’t win a seat himself, Pundt did.

“He’s for Empire,” he said.

Pundt will serve on the council for two years, completing the term of Roger Gould, who stepped down earlier this year. The council had appointed Melton to temporarily fill Gould’s seat. Melton garnered one of the three four-year terms up for grabs.

David Engholm was sixth with 8.1 percent of the vote, Howard Forte and D. Stephen Pickering were nearly even with 7 percent, and Daniel Baumann had 5 percent.

Forte, who had failed in three previous council campaigns, said he was disappointed, though he left open the possibility of making another attempt. For now, he will try to get another term on the city’s budget committee.

“I enjoy that,” he said. “It’s something that keeps you on the pulse with the city.”

Engholm congratulated the winners and said his defeat wouldn’t keep him from helping the community.

“There will be other opportunities,” he said. “I don’t intend to go away at all.”

Pickering said he ran a good campaign, but that it was a matter of his name not being well-known. He was disappointed, but he said his defeat won’t stop him from attending public meetings.

“I’m still going to be here as a watchdog,” he said.