Democratic incumbent Tom Henry will serve another four years as Fort Wayne's mayor, earning a resounding 61% of the vote over Republican challenger Tim Smith.
With his victory, Henry earns a fourth term in what could be an unprecedented 16 years on the job.
Smith was in good spirits, saying he felt badly for the folks who worked hard to help his campaign, but noting that a political loss “means nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
“It is quite obvious that the people of Fort Wayne are pleased with how things are going, and that’s a wonderful thing," Smith said. "And I’m pleased with the way things are going in this city.”
During his acceptance speech, Henry noted the contentious nature of the race, but ultimately complimented Smith for his “courage to step up.”
He says his focus will be to not only continue building on the promises he made 12 years ago, but also investing energy and funding into fresh initiatives to take Fort Wayne to new heights.
“Let’s reach beyond our comfort level. Let’s truly go after some areas that normally cities don’t go after. That is the areas of health, and the areas of energy, and the areas of trails and other types of recreation,” he said.
Henry sprinkled in some of his ideas for these areas over the next four years throughout his 25-minute acceptance speech, noting that the objective remains to continue attracting businesses and talent to keep Fort Wayne thriving.
Upon the conclusion of Henry’s speech, the band went into a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” — certainly in line with his consistent theme of “momentum” for the city.
