Kim Scott officially declared her support for Danny Rourke to serve a second consecutive term as Mayor, in a statement released to InsideLowell this morning.

The District 5 representative, who was one of Rourke’s nine votes last time around, becomes the fifth councilor to publicly declare their support, joining Sokhary Chau, John Descoteaux, Rita Mercier and Rourke himself. Should the incumbent Mayor secure one more vote, he will have reached the majority of six necessary to secure the gavel for the 2026-2027 city council term.

In her statement (published in its entirety below), Scott cited the “need for continuity amid significant development” and Rourke’s ability to run smooth, efficient public meetings.

The only other publicly declared candidate, Vesna Nuon, has secured the support of incoming District 7 City Councilor Sidney Liang.

In his most recent Sunday Notes Column, Gerry Nutter reported that Councilor Erik Gitschier is also making calls and asking colleagues for their support on a potential second ballot, should neither Rourke or Nuon be able to secure a sixth vote. Councilor Corey Robinson told InsideLowell earlier this week that “if Erik is interested, he has my support.”

Gitschier has been widely quoted as saying he does not support consecutive terms for anyone, but has remained mum on who he would vote for.

That leaves newcomers, Belinda Juran and Sean McDonough, neither of whom has publicly committed a vote and have not replied to multiple requests for their thoughts on what will be their first official vote as City Councilors.

Full statement from City Councilor Kim Scott:

“After careful consideration of our city and the challenges and opportunities ahead over the next two years, I plan to support Danny Rourke for a second term as Mayor.

With a little more than two weeks remaining until the Inauguration, no other candidate has expressed interest to me or reached out for my support. Mayor Rourke did so, which I consider an important gesture of respect.

While there are certainly areas where Mayor Rourke and I hold different views, and I have not, and will not, shy away from those disagreements, I find that we are aligned on a far greater number of issues that are critical for our city’s future and the overall direction we want to move toward.

I believe the most important factor right now is continuity of leadership. We are at a pivotal moment with major development projects starting, most notably the LINC project and the Frontrunner City initiative. Changing course now, with these complex projects in motion, risks a loss of momentum. Beyond upcoming projects, I also want to acknowledge his outstanding ability to manage meetings. Mayor Rourke consistently runs smooth, efficient public meetings, which reflects respect for both the process and the time of our residents and fellow councilors. He is a very good Parliamentarian.

For these reasons, the need for continuity amid significant development, our shared vision for the city’s direction, and his strong leadership in running the city’s meetings, I am proud to support Danny Rourke for a second term as Mayor.”