Newly re-elected Ward 4 Alderman Thompson Price was named president of the Sunset HIlls Board of Aldermen June 23, defeating Ward 1 Alderman Dee Baebler in a 5-3 videoconferenced vote that was split along gender lines.

Price was nominated by Ward 3 Alderman Nathan Lipe. The nomination was seconded by Ward 2 Alderman Steve Bersche.

Ward 1 Alderman Ann McMunn nominated Baebler, which was seconded by newly elected Ward 3 Alderman Cathy Friedmann in her first meeting.

Bersche, Lipe, Colombo, Wong and Price himself voted in favor of Price; McMunn, Friedmann and Baebler voted for Baebler.

Price, who is in his third term as alderman, was first elected in 2016 and then re-elected unopposed in 2018. He defeated resident Drew Hrach in the June 2 election to keep his seat on the board.

Baebler has been an alderman since 2010 after being appointed to fill a vacant seat on the board. This is the third time she’s been defeated for the presidential position, after losing 5-3 to Bersche in 2018 and 5-3 in 2019 to Colombo.

In a column in The Call last year, prior to 2019’s board president selection, Baebler questioned if it was time for a woman to lead the Board of Aldermen. The city has not had a female board president in its 63-year history.