'City's Future Greatness Will be Shaped by More Hands'

Mike Cahill was elected as the next mayor of Beverly on Tuesday, replacing the city's longest serving mayor, Bill Scanlon.

Cahill defeated Wes Slate 5,752-4,563 votes.

Cahill won in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6. Slate edged Cahill 764-668 in his own ward, Ward 2, and in Ward 4, 982-954. But Cahill won by more than 1,000 votes after wins in the remaining wards, including by more than 300 votes in Wards 1, 2 and 5.

Slate has been the Ward 2 City Councilor for six years and was endorsed by Scanlon. Cahill is a former state representative who served one term as City Council president.

"After three years of talking about what we want to do for Beverly, now we get to do it," he told supporters at a post-election gathering at the Italian Community Center.

Cahill stayed in a back room until the results were all in, then emerged to cheers and worked his way around the function hall with a smile, hugging supporters.

He then took the microphone and called it "a great night."

"Today we have really accomplished something.....Beverly made a decision today," he said. "That decision was to embrace an open and inclusive government."

The beginning portion of his speech to supporters after being elected can be seen in the attached video.