The wait is over.
After holding a mandatory recount required by law, the city of Gainesville has officially tabbed Craig Lowe to be the city's 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.
Lowe, who intently watched the recount process from start to finish, celebrated the victory with his campaign staff while accepting congratulations from the core supporters who stuck out Friday’s proceedings to the very end.
“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.
Marsh, who had supporters at Friday’s meeting, was not in attendance and could not be reached for comment.
Lowe, who will replace the current mayor, Pegeen Hanrahan, will officially be sworn in on May 20.
