History Made in New Bedford as Mitchell Wins Big

NEW BEDFORD — Mayor Jon Mitchell has been elected for a fifth term and will serve as Mayor of New Bedford for the next four years.

Mitchell closed out the election with 6,778 votes (72 percent) over Richard Tyson Moultrie's 2,483 (26 percent).

A total of 9,785 votes were cast in New Bedford on Tuesday, for a 16.4 percent voter turnout.

"I am very, very grateful tonight. It really is a privilege to be the mayor of our city. A city that I love," said Mitchell while addressing supporters on Tuesday night at Adriana's Mexican Restaurant on Acushnet Avenue.

"We have worked very hard and have taken a lot of risks. What the voters have said is they want more of this," Mitchell added.

Mitchell and longtime city councilor Brian Gomes were the top two finishers in the preliminary election for mayor. Gomes later dropped out of the race, informing supporters he planned to seek another term on the council. Gomes then missed the deadline to withdraw while speaking with reporters at City Hall.

Mitchell will be sworn in in January for a four-year term rather than the usual two-year term. This comes following a change in the city charter in 2017 that doubled the length of the mayor's tenure.

Mitchell will finish his upcoming term as New Bedford's longest continuously serving mayor.

"With a four-year term, the city can take more risks and build. It also comes with a great deal of responsibility," said Mitchell. "When you extend out the election cycle like that, it means you don't have to answer to the voters as much."