LEWISTON, Maine — Incumbent mayor of Lewiston Carl Sheline won the city's runoff election Tuesday night against challenger Jon Connor.
According to official election results, Sheline won by a margin of 122 votes out of 4,664 total ballots cast in Tuesday's special mayoral runoff election.
His victory comes six weeks after the deadly Lewiston shootings and growing calls for change in Maine's second largest city.
Sheline campaigned on issues like improving Lewiston's infrastructure and safety, helping the unhoused, tackling substance use prevention, and increasing housing availability, in the hopes of securing a second term.
He told NEWS CENTER Maine he wants to finish the work he started in his first term.
"We have a lot of unfinished work. We need to make progress on securing our streets, helping the homeless, substance use, and we've started a lot of great economic development in our city, initiatives and things that are getting underway with new businesses coming to town and filling vacant storefronts and we just need to continue that effort," Sheline said. "Lewiston is a great place to do business."
Connor, a former state legislator who served in the Air Force, campaigned on hopes of attracting more residents through housing development, support for local businesses, infrastructure improvements, crime reduction, and addressing mental health and drug use.
Connor posted to his Facebook page writing, "Thank you all for the love and support."
Just 16 percent of the city's eligible voters turned out to the polls Tuesday, according to the city clerk.