Acting mayor beats challenger in Fargo elections to finish out term
Fargo has a new mayor. Acting mayor Tim Mahoney easily won a special election Tuesday to replace Dennis Walaker, who died in December while battling cancer.
Fargo voters chose Mahoney over Fargo businessman Brad Wimmer.
Mahoney said it's an exciting but challenging time to lead Fargo.
"We're the No., 1 city in the state of North Dakota, we have economic growth, we have all sorts of jobs available. We have wonderful areas for people to live," he said. "So that's wonderful, but the challenges are we still have to work around a flood mitigation issue."
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The mayor must work to secure federal funding for a $1.8 billion Red River diversion to provide long-term flood protection for the city.
Mahoney said he also will work to better manage Fargo's rapid growth to attract more workers to fill jobs during his three-year term in office.
Mahoney, known for wearing a bright green construction vest at meetings and as he traveled around the city during major spring floods in recent years, was elected to the Fargo City Commission in 2005. He was appointed deputy mayor in 2009 by Walaker.
He's a surgeon who resigned from Essentia Health and entered private practice in December when Walaker died and was named acting mayor.