Bob Severns will be the next mayor of Oak Harbor, according to the first count of ballots in the Nov, 3 election.

Severns, a current councilman, has a decisive lead over Councilman Jim Campbell. Severns has 1,709 votes, or 63 percent, while Campbell has exactly 1,000 ballots cast in his favor.

Severns said the results show that the citizens of Oak Harbor want change at the top. Scott Dudley, the current mayor, is not seeking reelection after four years of discord between him and the council.

“I’m really excited to move forward,” Severns said. “I’m excited to use my leadership skills and my local knowledge to move the city forward.

Severns had a commanding lead in the primary election, but he said the groundswell of support was still better than he expected.

Severns has more than 40 years of experience in the title insurance and banking industries. He’s the retired past president of Chicago Title, which had seven branches in three counties. He was a director on the board for Whidbey Island Bank and remained on the board after it merged with Heritage Bank.