PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Vote counters, observers, attorneys and a panel of three judges huddled in a courtroom for hours Tuesday to determine the final count of the last open seat on Portsmouth's city council. After the Nov. 5 election, incumbent councilman De'Andre Barnes trailed political newcomer William Dodson by just 21 votes. The two candidates garnered more than 23,000 votes combined. Barnes requested the recount. As of 6 p.m., 13 of the 32 precincts had been completed. As of just before midnight, the vote difference was 33 votes in Dodson's favor. Barnes was unavailable Tuesday afternoon for an interview. If Dodson maintains his lead, he knows what his prime objective will be. "The first thing we need to address in our first meeting is crime," Dodson said. "And we need to start immediately." Dodson's plan to cut crime in Portsmouth involves filling positions that he said are already provided for in the budget. "We have got to have full staff right now," Dodson said. "The last estimate was 90 people short. That's a lot." An endodontist with a successful dental practice, Dodson said he was compelled to run because he saw too many poor candidates and too much poor leadership. "What is our purpose? What is our vision?" Dodson said, asking rhetorically. "I've been following the city council for the last four years and was very disappointed in the quality of candidates. I was seeing a lot of people that just didn't seem to know what they were doing."