Jeff Graham wins fifth term as mayor, beating Jeff Smith

The mayor who’s there will continue to be there for another four years.

Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham fended off a spirited challenge from Councilman Jeffrey M. Smith, winning 1,975 to 1,803 in Tuesday’s election for the city’s top political post, according to unofficial Board of Elections figures. Yet to be counted are 438 absentee ballots, but Mr. Smith would have to win about 70 percent of them to overcome Mr. Graham’s lead.

“It was a hard-fought campaign, a lot of work,” Mr. Graham told about 30 supporters celebrating his victory Tuesday night at Fort Pearl, the bar he owns. “It’s now my job to make sure the job is done for everyone.”

Mr. Smith called his opponent at 10:25 p.m., after it became clear he had lost the election.

“We’ve definitely had disagreements in the past, but it’s politics. It’s about the city and we can work together and go forward,” Mr. Smith said at a campaign party at Savory Downtown on Washington Street.

The victory means the makeup of City Council will remain unchanged, because Mr. Smith still has two years left on his City Council term. The mayor is one voting member of the five-member City Council, which sets policy for the city manager. The mayor also has ceremonial duties.

Supporters of Mr. Graham at Stone Presbyterian Church signaled that they were comfortable with the incumbent, who has presided over a stable tax rate and economic expansion in the city since he was first elected in 1991.

“I’ve been in (Mr. Graham’s) camp since Day 1,” said James L. “Obie” O’Brien. “I don’t think (Mr. Smith) has the time for it. In four years, when Jeff Graham steps down, I’ll be glad to vote for (Mr. Smith).”

In 2005, Mr. O’Brien lost a race for City Council to Mr. Smith by about 150 votes.

Mr. Graham has said this is likely his last term in office.

Though Mr. Graham has rankled critics with his blog — where he is accused of frittering away sensitive negotiations and isolating the city from the decision-making process — Watertown has hardly been gripped by anti-incumbent fervor.

Even Mr. Smith’s supporters usually say Mr. Graham has “done a good job,” including James L. Monaco, who voted for Mr. Smith.

“I feel he’s a bright young man with a lot of vision for the city,” Mr. Monaco said. “I think the city needs to go in a different direction.”

Mr. Smith couldn’t say for sure why Mr. Graham was able to squeeze out the victory.

“I worked hard, I went door to door, but maybe voters are just happy with the way things are,” he said. “What was most disappointing was the low turnout, which might just be a sense of apathy.”

Mr. Smith said it’s too early to consider another run.

“I’m not thinking that far ahead in terms of politics,” he said. “I have two years left on my term.”

Mr. Graham called their brief phone call “congenial.” He said he told Mr. Smith it “was a hard-fought campaign.”