Dave Somers garnered a wide majority of the votes Tuesday night, helping him win the race for Snohomish County executive.
In a campaign pitting two Democrats -- and former allies -- against each other, Somers, the chairman of the Snohomish County Council, lead incumbent John Lovick 58% to 42%.
"We've already started talking about tackling some of the issues, the county and cities together. Homeless and growth are major concerns. We're going to grow by 200,000 people over the next 20 years. We need to bring people together on those issues," Somers said Tuesday night.
"I'm very pleased with where I've been in my career. Don't write my obituary just yet.There are still offices and important work to be done and I want to continue to do that," said Lovick.
Lovick was county sheriff in 2013 when he was appointed executive after Aaron Reardon resigned due to scandal. He won a special election last year to fill out the remaining year of Reardon's term.
Somers endorsed Lovick in last year's race, but in announcing his challenge to Lovick earlier this year, Somers said he was fed up with what he said was Lovick's "hands-off" management style.
During the campaign, he charged that Lovick mismanaged money, singling out the executive's decision to give 10 percent raises to members of his staff at a time when the county's financial reserves are constrained.
"Frankly, our economic situation is worse than it's ever been," said Somers. "The situation we're in now is not healthy. It's not good."
Lovick, for his part, said Somers had raised salaries for council staff and was only singling the raises in the executive's office because it is an election year.
The perennially positive Lovick campaigned on the economy, saying there are three simple reasons voters should reelect him: "Jobs, jobs and jobs."
Another issue dividing the candidates is the proposed new county courthouse, a project that is on hold as disputes over costs and parking remain unresolved.
"It's time to look to Plan B," said Somers, who initially supported the project. He believes calling all the interested parties together to discuss a cheaper solution to the courthouse is the best approach.
The cornerstone of the incumbent's plan, however, is putting the current county courthouse on "life support" for the time being, and returning $4 million in future bond payments to taxpayers.
"We tried to make it work," said Lovick. "Such a climate of uncertainty and financial risk is unacceptable."
Somers said Lovick's approach would mean the county had spent $75 million for a project that was never completed.
Labor is split on this Democrat vs. Democrat race, with the union representing county employees backing Lovick, in part because of Somers's past opposition to pay increases. The union representing sheriff's deputies, meanwhile, has endorsed Somers, shunning their former boss.
In the August primary, Somers won a plurality in the field of five candidates – tallying 31,283 votes to 30,120 for Lovick. Republican candidate Robert Sutherland came in third, with 25,033 votes, and its Sutherland's supporters who almost certainly are expected to decide the race between Lovick and Somers.
