FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Controversy after controversy surrounded Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson. With her loss, Tuesday's election winner is talking about the path forward.
Current Mayor Ken Moore easily defeated Hanson Tuesday, by a margin of nearly 80 percent to 20 percent.
"I feel great!" Moore said Wednesday, talking about the election.
"I think in many minds, what we are really about was overshadowed, with people talking about the city as crumbling and corruption in city hall," Moore said. "I don't believe those things."
Moore says it's now time to focus on the issues facing the city, namely capital projects like roads, as the city grows.
"The issues continue to be how we manage growth moving forward," Moore said. "Franklin's been growing at 2,000 people a year for 20 years, so we've been managing the growth, and with growth comes challenges."
With that growth, like other cities, Moore says his priority is on affordable housing.
"Many of our workers in Williamson County and Franklin don't live here, they have to drive in, which compounds the traffic issue," Moore said.
But more than anything, he said, Tuesday's election revealed the values Franklin truly holds dear.
"It's okay to buck the noise on the edges, and I think that's what we've seen here," Moore said. "The edges were very noisy, and the middle has risen up and said, 'this is what we want Franklin to be.'"
For our election results story, watch below:
