'Democracy works': McLaughlin unseats incumbent Brown in decisive win

FRANKLIN — Franklin voters decidedly unseated one-term incumbent mayor Jo Brown in city elections Tuesday, favoring challenger Desireé McLaughlin by about 25 percentage points citywide. 

Results posted late Tuesday night showed McLaughlin, who received 730 votes, or about 60% of ballots cast, had dominated Brown, who received 424 votes, or about 35% of ballots cast, in all of Franklin’s three wards. A third candidate, Sam McLaughlin, received 27 votes, or about 2% of ballots cast.

“We were fortunate to be able to be unify people,” Desireé McLaughlin said in an interview. “There was such a broad mix of the community and everybody was so excited.”

Desireé McLaughlin has been a vocal critic of current city administration on- and offline, organizing crowds of members of the public in attendance at recent city meetings. She said her campaign was born from disagreements between her and Brown.

This organizing momentum likely bolstered McLaughlin’s win, as turnout topped 25% in each of the city’s three wards, with 26% voter participation citywide — up from a reported 5% in the previous mayoral election.

In an interview, Brown accepted the results and what they communicated. 

“Democracy works,” Brown said. “People voted for what they want. They see a different vision forward for Franklin than I do, so they voted for the people that would give them that vision.”

Brown had not spoken with Desireé McLaughlin since votes were tallied, but said she had sent her a congratulatory note Tuesday evening.

Interviews with supporters outside the polls Tuesday reflected that, as city elections are officially nonpartisan, Desireé McLaughlin’s supporters came from all sides of the political spectrum. She described this election as the city regrouping as a political community and coming back together after the isolation of the pandemic. 

Though Desireé McLaughlin has described the current council and mayor as “dishonest” and “unethical,” she said she is “not worried” about her ability to work with leadership once assuming her post. 

“When leadership changes, it changes the dynamic of the team,” Desireé McLaughlin said. “I'm not saying that Jo is a bad person, I just think she was a divisive leader.” She expressed confidence, under new leadership, in each councilor. 

The turnout in favor of Desireé McLaughlin may have boosted candidates in city council races, as well. In Ward 1, incumbent Jay Chandler was defeated by Tim Johnston, Ed Prive came out on top of a competitive, four-person field for a vacant seat in Ward 3, and Ward 2 write-in candidate Tom Boyce, though not successful, garnered 110 votes, almost within striking distance of Councilor-elect Susan Hallet Cook, who received 187 votes. 

Brown — who noted she will be stepping away from city politics for now — told The Daily Sun she was pleased to see a jump in turnout — regardless of the result. 

“The more people that vote, the better — however it goes,” Brown said. “You get a real feel of what the issues are and people’s concerns are, and that's a good thing.”