Allan Ekberg is getting briefings from city administrative staff as he prepares to take over as Tukwila’s new mayor on Jan. 1.
Ekberg’s comfortable lead over fellow City Council member De’Sean Quinn following the initial results Nov. 3 in the mayoral race wavered only a little.
On Tuesday, Quinn and Ekberg talked by phone, with Quinn offering his congratulations and both pledging to work together on the city’s business.
“I look forward to working with him in the future,” Ekberg said in an interview.
Ekberg called the campaign competitive but not contentious. Now, he wants to put the campaign behind and move on.
“I want to work toward the future,” he said.
Ekberg’s reaction to winning was “way subdued,” he said, but “this week it’s hitting me that I got this.”
His co-workers at BECU in Tukwila, where he is a senior IT project manager, dressed up his cubicle and he couldn’t get inside until he did a formal ribbon cutting. His transition from BECU will continue through year’s end.
Ekberg will have half-day weekly meetings with city administrators through November and then more frequently in December. He’ll meet with Mayor Jim Haggerton, who is finishing his second term in office.
“Everyone’s goal in the administration is to make sure I am up to speed and running fast,” he said.
Quinn thanked his supporters who worked “so hard” on his campaign for mayor.
“Ballots are still trickling in but they show that Tukwila has chosen Allan Ekberg as the new mayor, he said. “Although we worked for a different outcome, I congratulate Allan on the win and will continue to work collaboratively with him on the City Council to help build a great future for Tukwila.”
And Quinn said he will continue to be a council member who “fights for every resident in the city.”
“I am proud of the campaign that many residents helped me run and the positive messages that we used highlighting the opportunity in front of us,” he said.
As of Tuesday, Ekberg had 1,396 votes, or 53.40 percent, to Quinn’s 1,208 votes or 46.21 percent. The turnout was about 36 percent of Tukwila’s 8,169 registered voters.
The count will continue, with the certification of the results on Nov. 24.
