CJ Pruner
Alligator Staff Writer
It's all over.
After holding a mandatory recount required by law, Gainesville has officially chosen Craig Lowe as the next mayor.
Lowe, who has served on the city commission since 2003, defeated local businessman Don Marsh in a machine recount Friday by a margin of 42 votes, or .34 percent.
The recounted results showed no change from Thursday evening, when the canvassing board met to decide on 21 provisional ballots. The board awarded 12 of the ballots to Lowe, five to Marsh and disqualified the remaining four.
Since the margin between Lowe and Marsh was less than half of a percent but more than a quarter of a percent after Thursday's meeting, the recount was conducted on 10 machines, each manned by one Republican and one Democrat. Had the margin been less than a quarter of a percent, the law would have required the recound to be done by hand.
Lowe, who intently watched the recount process from start to finish, couldn't help but beam when the canvassing board officially certified the results. He celebrated with his campaign staff while accepting congratulations from a core of supporters who stuck out Friday's proceedings to the very end.
Lowe, who replaces current mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, will officially be sworn in on May 20.
Marsh, who had supporters at Friday's meeting, was not in attendance and could not be reached for comment.
Although the campaign had its share of hostility, with each candidate accusing the other of dirty political tactics, Lowe said that he was ready to put an end to campaigning and delve into work as mayor.
“Now that the election is over, we'll all need to go home and be neighbors and work together to make Gainesville a better community,” Lowe said.
Garrett Garner, Lowe's campaign manager, said he and the rest of the campaign had faith in the supervisor of elections and is relieved to be finally through with the process.
“Now I sleep,” Garner said.
