Two black candidates were among three people elected to the Ferguson City Council Tuesday , tripling African-American representation in the St. Louis suburb where poor race relations have been a focal point since the August shooting death of an 18-year-old black by a white police officer . The election means that half of the six-member city council in Ferguson , a town where two-thirds of the 21,000 residents are black , will now be African-American . This just over one month after the Department of Justice released a report on the shocking culture of racism and abuse in the city . The lone black incumbent councilman , Dwayne James , was not up for re-election . Scroll down for video . Wesley Bell Jr. , 18 , left , casts his vote alongside his father Wesley Bell who claimed victory in the race for Ferguson City Council Ward 3 seat . The election came just over a month after a Justice Department report detailed a culture of racism and abuse among city officials , employees and police . Voter turnout increased substantially from the previous election following a strong get-out-the-vote effort from labor unions and other national organizations . The town that drew only 12.3 percent of registered voters last April had 29.4 percent turnout Tuesday , according to the St. Louis County Board of Elections . That was about double the overall turnout in St. Louis County , where Ferguson is located . Unofficial results showed that Wesley Bell defeated another black candidate to win in the 3rd Ward ; Ella Jones defeated another black candidate and two white candidates in the 1st Ward ; and Brian Fletcher , a former mayor who is white , won a 2nd Ward race against another white candidate . 'This community came out in record numbers to make sure our voices were heard , ' said councilman-elect Bell . 'When you have a community engaged , the sky is the limit . ' He described it as part of a healing and rebuilding process . It was the first municipal election in Ferguson since officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown , who was black and unarmed , on Aug. 9 . The shooting sparked sometimes violent protests in the St. Louis area , and spawned a national Black Lives Matter movement to press for change in how police deal with local minorities . It also prompted a review by the U.S. Justice Department , which decided not to prosecute Wilson , who resigned in November . But the federal department released a scathing report blasting the city for racial bias and profiling in the police department and a profit-driven municipal court system . Several city officials resigned following the review , including the city manager , police chief and municipal judge . The municipal court clerk was fired for racist emails . The new city council will be tasked with approving hiring of the replacements . The scrutiny in the wake of the shooting also found that the city had a mostly white police force and city leadership - the mayor also is white . Ferguson City Council ward three candidates Lee Smith ( R ) and Wesley Bell ( L ) hand out election information . In the race for the 3rd Ward , which includes the apartment complex where Brown was killed , Bell , 40 , easily defeated 76-year-old retiree Lee Smith . Bell is a lawyer and a criminology professor who had to defend himself because of a third job - municipal judge in a neighboring town of Velda City that , like Ferguson , derives a large percentage of its budget from municipal court fines . Smith had support of several national organizations whose volunteers went door-to-door on his behalf . Jones had support of a labor union and won easily in her four-person race . Fletcher , the former mayor who started the I Love Ferguson campaign after the unrest that ravaged the community , also won easily in the 2nd Ward . A strong push was made after the shooting to register more black voters last year , but just 562 new voters were added to the rolls . In recent weeks , the focus has been on getting those who are registered to vote . The high turnout came despite brutal weather . Strong storms , including lightning and heavy rain , tore through the region for several hours before noon . But the weather did n't deter Marty Einig , who has participated in Ferguson protests since August . She was voting in the 3rd Ward , which includes the Canfield Green apartment complex where Brown was fatally shot . ' I see there is raw material within this community to demonstrate hope , ' Einig said . ' I see a glass that 's half full , and I feel that the people have the will to force change . ' Charrolynn Washington agreed , saying the election is where real change will occur . 'As much change is needed here in Ferguson , this is where we begin - not out there in the streets , doing what they were doing - but , right here , ' Washington said . 'They need to be voting and putting people in position to make the change and make the decisions that need to be made . '
Ferguson , Missouri elected three black officials to Wesley Bell seats on Tuesday , up from one last term . Black officials now comprise half of the Wesley Bell in the city . This just over a month after a Justice Department report detailed a culture of racism and abuse among city officials , employees and police . Voter turnout hit record highs , with 29.4percent of registered voters going to the polls , up from 12.3percent last April . The elected black officials include city council and Ella Jones , while Dwayne James , the incumbent , was not up for reelection .