Everett mayor furthers lead over former council member in latest results

It appears Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin will be reelected, as she widened her lead once again over former Councilmember Scott Murphy.

Franklin currently holds 55.1% of the vote (11,931 votes), compared to Murphy’s 44.4% (9,597 votes), as reported on Snohomish County’s website.

In the first round of results last week, Franklin took 52.4% of the vote (6,970 votes), while Murphy took 47.1% (6,259 votes). She has since strengthened her lead.

Everett mayoral candidates see close race in primary

The two were separated by just 65 votes in the primary.

Poised as potentially one of the closest races in Washington, Murphy nabbed 35.3% (5,532 votes) of the vote compared to Franklin’s 34.9% (5,467 votes).

Janice Greene finished third with 26.8% of the vote (4,192 votes). Washington uses a top-two primary system in local elections, meaning the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary advance to the general election in November.

Franklin became the first woman to serve as mayor of Everett in 2018, and was reelected in 2022. Before becoming mayor, she served on the Everett City Council. Franklin was also the CEO of Cocoon House, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to housing.

Murphy has also served on the city council. His tenure lasted nearly a decade, from 2013 to 2021. Part of his time on the council had him as the chair of the budget committee.

Everett’s shuttered Fred Meyer store looms over candidates

Earlier this year, Kroger announced it is closing its store at 8530 Evergreen Way, along with other locations in places like Tacoma and Lake City.

In a statement, a Fred Meyer spokesperson cited “a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment” as reasons for the closure, adding that all employees will be offered positions at other locations.

Franklin called the closure “corporate neglect.”

“Crime is down all over in that area, but shoplifting is down by 80%, and that is a significant decrease,” she told KIRO Newsradio. “We put in the effort. We made those investments, yet the store didn’t, you know, continue to invest in their facility.”

Over the summer, Kroger announced the closure of six of its locations across the region. A Tacoma Fred Meyer has already closed, and the five other grocery stores in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are scheduled to close this fall, creating a “food desert” for groceries in Everett.

Murphy has been campaigning on improving public safety in Everett to prevent business closures, such as the Fred Meyer. This includes filling vacant City of Everett police positions and making business retention a core part of Everett’s economic development strategy.

“Everett deserves better — we need a city government that protects residents, supports workers, and creates an environment where businesses can thrive.”

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

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