Charlie Sisitsky easily defeated incumbent Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer 68% to 32% today and will become Framingham’s second-ever mayor. The result was almost the same as September’s preliminary election, when he garnered 69% of the vote.
The unofficial vote total was 8,270 to 3,905 with a voter turnout of almost 31%. The 2017 turnout was 39%.
Sisitsky won 16 of the city’s 18 precincts, as shown in green on the map (article continues below map):
Unofficial Mayoral Results
Spicer won in Precincts 16 and 17, which had the two lowest vote totals in today’s election. (Article continues below table)
Tonight’s result was mostly expected after Spicer’s poor showing in September – despite a slew of high-powered out-of-town endorsements garnered by the incumbent including Senator Elizabeth Warren and US Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Locally, Sisitsky won early key backings from two Framingham state representatives, Jack Lewis and Maria Robinson. And while Spicer raised considerably more money, it was Sisitsky who garnered many more Framingham-based contributors.
Tonight’s results were a major turnaround from four years ago, when Spicer swept into office with 58.6% of the vote against an experienced and well known opponent, former state Rep. John Stefanini.
Below is a look at Spicer’s vote percents in 2017 vs 2021 (article continues after table and chart):
| Precinct | Spicer2021 | Spicer2017 | PctChange |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.8 | 55.3 | -33.5 |
| 2 | 28.5 | 57.2 | -28.7 |
| 3 | 37.9 | 64.1 | -26.2 |
| 4 | 29.7 | 59.5 | -29.8 |
| 5 | 26.1 | 57.6 | -31.5 |
| 6 | 30.3 | 57.7 | -27.4 |
| 7 | 33.2 | 63.1 | -29.9 |
| 8 | 33.5 | 62.9 | -29.4 |
| 9 | 29.0 | 58.4 | -29.4 |
| 10 | 40.0 | 64.9 | -24.9 |
| 11 | 31.3 | 52.2 | -20.9 |
| 12 | 33.3 | 59.3 | -26.0 |
| 13 | 38.0 | 60.0 | -22.0 |
| 14 | 43.5 | 61.6 | -18.1 |
| 15 | 40.7 | 46.4 | -5.7 |
| 16 | 55.2 | 61.4 | -6.2 |
| 17 | 70.8 | 65.0 | 5.8 |
| 18 | 33.8 | 49.2 | -15.4 |
| Total | 32.1 | 58.2 | -26.1 |
You can see the percent won by the mayor by precinct in 2017 vs 2021:
During this year’s campaign, a number of the mayor’s early supporters said they felt the city needed a new leader, concerned that the mayor’s managerial and communication styles weren’t a good fit for the job. Some City Councilors and School Committee members also criticized the mayor’s fiscal policies and budget priorities. In addition, the departure of a number of key city employees raised concerns.
While Spicer’s campaign literature touted endorsements from three city councilors, including District 2’s Cesar Stewart-Morales (who easily won re-election himself), in fact a majority of the 11-member Council did not support her.
Opposition to the mayor coalesced around Sisitsky, seen by many as an experienced and pragmatic alternative. His years as a Framingham Selectman and Natick Planning Director and DPW Director were seen by many voters as what the city needed after four years under a promising but inexperienced newcomer.
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