Update: Newcomer Tom Flynn 'Very Excited' to Join City Council

Planning Commissioner Tom Flynn said Tuesday evening he is "very excited" to join the Redmond City Council after what appears to be a successful first run a public office.

, 48, is leading Joel Wright by 14 percentage points in the race for Seat 5 on the Redmond City Council, according to the second round elections results from King County.

Results released by King County Elections on Wednesday evening show Flynn leading Wright 57 percent to 43 percent with 7,942 ballots counted out of 26,035 registered city voters. Turnout in King County was projected to be around 52 percent for this election.

Flynn celebrated the end of his campaign on Tuesday evening with family and friends at . Looking back over the past several months of campaigning, Flynn said he was thankful his opponent Joel Wright ran a "very positive campaign."

"I think the campaign went very well—it was a lot of hard work," he said.

Flynn, a compliance consultant with Puget Sound Energy, said he and his supporters rang doorbells at more than 2,000 Redmond homes during the campaign, an experience he compared to training for a marathon.

Mayor John Marchione, who was also at JJ Mahoney's celebrating on Tuesday, said he would have been pleased with either candidate but said Flynn's dedication during the campaign was apparent.

"The key to an election is doorbelling—he worked really hard," Marchione said.

Flynn's campaign focused on preserving Redmond's parks and natural resources, promoting functional urban centers and connecting the city's various neighborhoods.

Challenger Wright, meanwhile, had emphasized the need to support local businesses and came out in support of I-1125, a Tim Eyman-sponsored initiative that would require the Legislature to set highway tolls. Wright did not return a phone call seeking comment on Tuesday evening.

Flynn said he is "very excited" to make the transition from candidate to council member.

"I just look forward to getting on the council," he said. "It's great to have the support of the people of Redmond."

Editor's note: This story contains figures from Tuesday election counts that remained virtually unchanged on Wednesday evening, when another batch of results were released. Flynn still leads Wright 57 to 43 percent.