FARMINGTON -- Ernie Penn was re-elected Farmington mayor in Tuesday's municipal runoff.
Unofficial but complete results for the seat are:
Ernie Penn, 580 votes (63.67%)
Diane Bryant, 331 votes (36.33%)
Penn, the incumbent, earned a spot in the runoff by receiving 1,373 votes or 49.7% in the Nov. 8 general election, according to the Washington County Election Commission. Bryant finished second in November with 867 votes, or 31%. Jerrod Fraley, the third mayoral candidate in the Nov. 8 general election, got 521 votes, or 19%.
A candidate in a municipal election with more than two challengers can win outright with a majority, which is 50% plus one vote. A candidate also can win by receiving at least 40% of the vote and by leading the second-place finisher by at least 20%. Otherwise, the two top vote-getters compete in a runoff.
Penn, 68, has been mayor for 20 years. He served his first term from 1999 to 2002, then served four years on the City Council. He again took the mayor's office in 2007 and has served the city a total of 24 years in elective office, he noted.
Diane Bryant, 73, is a member of Farmington City Council and retired school librarian and teacher. She has served on the council for eight years, holding Ward 4, Position 1.
She also served one year on the Washington County Quorum Court.
Farmington had an estimated population of 8,242 as of July 1, 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.