EVERETT — Incumbent Cassie Franklin will serve a third term in office after she defeated former city council member Scott Murphy in the race for Everett’s mayoral seat.
Results Monday showed Franklin leading with 55.1% of the vote while Murphy trailed with 44.4% of the vote.
In the August primary, Murphy won the four-way race with a margin of just 65 votes.
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Franklin will serve through 2029, after being first elected mayor in 2017. Her campaign focused on her experience in office, highlighting increases in housing construction, shelter space, new business licenses and a drop in crime rates as successes from her first two terms. She also argued that she had managed the city’s finances effectively, closing a multitude of budget gaps as the city battles an ongoing structural deficit that has persisted since before she took office.
Her goals include finding new revenue for the city’s budget challenges, addressing housing affordability by allowing more development, and growing the city’s economy.
Franklin declared victory on Friday night after the gap between her and Murphy had grown to over 2,000 votes.
In a statement, Franklin said her campaign “focused on everything our city is doing right” and that she was grateful for voters’ support.
“Now it’s time to put politics aside for the good of our amazing city. I am focused and ready to continue working together on reducing crime, addressing housing affordability, keeping our vibrant South Everett community strong, expanding recreational and business opportunities for our waterfront, and building on the revitalization of Everett’s downtown corridor,” Franklin wrote Friday.
Murphy served as a city council member from 2013 to 2021 and spent time as the chair of the council’s budget committee. He also worked in business.
He has argued that since he left the council, Everett has been a city heading in the wrong direction. Murphy argued that Franklin’s administration had spent unsustainably, given the city’s revenue trends, and said he would look for more areas to make cuts while also attempting to generate more revenue. He also promised to restore the city’s park rangers program and reopen the Forest Park swimming pool — moves that, together, may cost millions of dollars — finding the funding through “a complete review of all the city’s budgets,” he previously said. Murphy also said he would undertake reviews to improve measures used to fight homelessness and drive economic development.
In a statement, Murphy thanked his supporters and called Everett an “amazing city with strong neighborhoods, caring people and incredible potential,” while it faces “real challenges including homelessness, public safety concerns and a financial picture that needs serious attention.”
“While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, I am very proud to call Everett home and will continue working to help build a brighter future for our city,” Murphy wrote Saturday morning. “Leadership comes in many forms, and I remain committed to being part of the solution. Thank you again to all who stood with me in this effort. Together, we’ve elevated important conversations and renewed hope for Everett’s future.”
Combined, the two candidates reported about $550,000 in campaign contributions, making it the eighth most expensive race in the state this year, according to Washington public disclosure reports.
The mayor earns $215,940 per year and serves as the administrative head of the city, overseeing more than 1,200 employees. Snohomish County will continue counting ballots throughout the week and certify election results Nov. 25. Results will be updated after 5 p.m. daily at heraldnet.com.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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