EVERETT — Former City Council member Scott Murphy held on to a narrow early lead on Wednesday in the race for Everett’s mayoral seat, as two-term incumbent Cassie Franklin trailed just behind.
Franklin and Murphy are now the two likeliest candidates to advance to the November general election, when voters will decide who will hold the seat at the helm of Snohomish County’s largest city. Combined, the two have raised over $320,000 in campaign contributions so far, public disclosure filings show.
Murphy led with 35.3% of the vote. Franklin trailed just behind with 34.8%, a difference of only 63 votes.
Janice Greene, a former economic development leader and former president of the Snohomish County NAACP, had received 27% of the vote as of Wednesday. Rich Ryan, an IT professional and musician, received 3% of the vote. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to make up the gap and advance to the general election.
Murphy served on the City Council from 2013 to 2021. His campaign focused on turning around a city he saw as heading in a wrong direction. He prioritized addressing homelessness and taking measures to balance the city’s budget through cuts to administrative staff and increased economic development. He also said he would attempt to address crime through cutting red tape in police hiring.
In a statement, Murphy thanked the community and his volunteers, saying he was “incredibly honored” to be leading in initial results.
“While the election is not over, the majority of voters tonight understood that it is time to make a change to address the issues our city faces and provide solutions,” Murphy wrote Tuesday. “Over the last few months, I’ve heard from so many different people within our community. Whether at front doors, in coffee shops or at events, the message has been clear: we need to get back to the basics of safe neighborhoods, clean parks, real solutions to homelessness, fiscal responsibility and leadership that listens.”
Franklin, first elected mayor in 2017, ran a campaign focused on her experience from two terms in office. She highlighted increases in housing construction and business licences, new social worker programs and a recent drop in crime rates as successes from her as mayor. If reelected, she would focus on finding new revenue solutions to address the city’s budget issues, allow for more housing construction and grow economic development, she previously said.
“I’m grateful for all of the volunteers and the support this community is showing for my campaign,” Franklin wrote in a statement Tuesday. “Summer primaries can be really tough and voter turnout is often low. I look forward to seeing more results over this week and continuing this momentum for a safer, stronger, more vibrant Everett!”
Greene sought to increase community input on city decision making and improve economic development. Many of the city’s issues were interconnected problems that needed “all the people at the table that need to be at the table,” she previously said. She had raised nearly $45,000 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday.
Ryan focused on housing affordability during his campaign. He hoped to implement ambitious public housing programs paid for by new vacancy taxes, an expansion of Paine Field and increased revenue from local arts. He also sought to increase the amount of city social workers and lower the mayor’s salary.
In a statement Wednesday, Ryan congragulated Franklin and Murphy and said his committment to public service is not over.
“While the result is not what I hoped for, this campaign reinforced something I believed from the start: Everett matters, and the voices of renters, working families, and everyday folks must be heard,” Ryan wrote. “Getting nearly 3% as a first-time candidate with no political fundraising shows that our message resonated, a message of transparency, accountability, and real solutions rooted in lived experience.”
Everett’s mayor earns $215,940 per year, overseeing more than 1,200 employees and a $173 million general fund budget.
Primary results will be certified on Aug. 19. The general election is Nov. 4.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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