Published: Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Dave Earling trounces incumbent Edmonds Mayor Cooper
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Chris Goodenow / For The Herald
Edmonds mayoral candidate Dave Earling awaits election results Tuesday night at Portofino's restaurant.
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Chris Goodenow / For The Herald
Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper telephones supporters Tuesday evening at his home.
EDMONDS - Voters here are dumping embattled Mayor Mike Cooper in favor of a former city councilman who pledged an end to the dramas engulfing City Hall in recent weeks.
Dave Earling grabbed a seemingly insurmountable lead Tuesday garnering 5,599 votes, or 66.4 percent, to Cooper's 2,802 votes, or 33.2 percent. Results will be updated Wednesday afternoon.
“I guess stunned would be a fair assessment,” Earling said of seeing the numbers Tuesday. “We were very hopeful we would be ahead. None of us came close to guessing what we saw pop up on the screen.”
Cooper, 59, who was appointed mayor in July 2010, wasn't ready to concede with thousands of votes left to be counted.
“It doesn't look too good,” he acknowledged of the results.
Cooper had campaigned on his success in putting forth a balanced city budget and attracting tax-generating businesses such as Dick's Drive-in.
But his management – and in particular a couple recent personnel decisions – overshadowed his work and likely played a hand in his undoing.
Earling, 68, spotlighted the tumult caused by Cooper's decisions to fire the human resources director and negotiate a deal allowing his executive assistant, Kim Cole, to resign with an $84,000 payment. The council later nixed the agreement with Cole.
“As I doorbelled, I found there was a growing sense of people terribly frustrated with the leadership at the top and watching the theater, if you will, taking place in front of them,” Earling said.
Cooper expressed no regret for what's transpired.
“I'm proud of the work I've done the last year and a half,” Cooper said. “I don't have anything to be ashamed of. I stand behind the decisions I've made in the last couple months.”
Earling raised $62,385 in the campaign, more than double Cooper's total of $30,650. Earling, a onetime realtor, also benefited from $34,320 in spending by outside organizations, the majority of it coming from the National Association of Realtors.
The winner of Tuesday's election will be sworn in Nov. 29.
While many ballots are yet to be tallied, Earling is gearing up for the job.
“Tomorrow I will start making some calls,” he said. “Three weeks is not much time to prepare.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com
Dave Earling grabbed a seemingly insurmountable lead Tuesday garnering 5,599 votes, or 66.4 percent, to Cooper's 2,802 votes, or 33.2 percent. Results will be updated Wednesday afternoon.
“I guess stunned would be a fair assessment,” Earling said of seeing the numbers Tuesday. “We were very hopeful we would be ahead. None of us came close to guessing what we saw pop up on the screen.”
Cooper, 59, who was appointed mayor in July 2010, wasn't ready to concede with thousands of votes left to be counted.
“It doesn't look too good,” he acknowledged of the results.
Cooper had campaigned on his success in putting forth a balanced city budget and attracting tax-generating businesses such as Dick's Drive-in.
But his management – and in particular a couple recent personnel decisions – overshadowed his work and likely played a hand in his undoing.
Earling, 68, spotlighted the tumult caused by Cooper's decisions to fire the human resources director and negotiate a deal allowing his executive assistant, Kim Cole, to resign with an $84,000 payment. The council later nixed the agreement with Cole.
“As I doorbelled, I found there was a growing sense of people terribly frustrated with the leadership at the top and watching the theater, if you will, taking place in front of them,” Earling said.
Cooper expressed no regret for what's transpired.
“I'm proud of the work I've done the last year and a half,” Cooper said. “I don't have anything to be ashamed of. I stand behind the decisions I've made in the last couple months.”
Earling raised $62,385 in the campaign, more than double Cooper's total of $30,650. Earling, a onetime realtor, also benefited from $34,320 in spending by outside organizations, the majority of it coming from the National Association of Realtors.
The winner of Tuesday's election will be sworn in Nov. 29.
While many ballots are yet to be tallied, Earling is gearing up for the job.
“Tomorrow I will start making some calls,” he said. “Three weeks is not much time to prepare.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com
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