The tight results of Franklinton's election for mayor on Tuesday shouldn't be a surprise. Recent mayoral elections in Franklinton have produced very close results.
Tuesday's 2024 mayoral election in Franklinton was decided by just 11 votes. Four years ago, in 2020, the same election was decided by 50 votes. And in 2016, the mayoral election was decided by 22 votes.
For Franklinton Mayor Greg Route, the close margin probably did not come as a surprise, because he was one of the candidates in each of the past three razor-close mayoral elections.
In 2016, Route lost to Richard Dillon by 22 votes, 726-704.
In 2020, Route beat John L. Daniel by 50 votes, 779-729.
And in 2024, Route lost to Darwin Sharp by 11 votes, 741-730.
In all three of these elections --- 2016, 2020, 2024 --- the total number of votes cast by the citizens of Franklinton has been remarkably stable. There were 1,430 votes tallied in the 2016 mayor's election. In 2020 there were 1,508. And in 2024 the total was 1,471.
Darwin Sharp will be sworn in as Franklinton's mayor in January. He will become the town's 5th mayor since 1992. That's five mayors in 32 years. Previous mayors since 1992 were Earle Brown Sr., Wayne Fleming, Richard Dillon, and Greg Route.
