Candidate Kelly Shaw was elected the next mayor of Indianola in Tuesday’s elections, defeating Jill Johnson.

As the final numbers were counted on Tuesday evening, Shaw prevailed with a 280 vote victory over Johnson.

“I feel humbled that voters put their faith and trust in me to lead Indianola the next four years,” said mayoral candidate, Kelly Shaw.

Shaw explained his experience:

• “The campaign has been a wonderful experience, as people have voiced their support and welcomed me into the living rooms to discuss their concerns and interests for the city of Indianola.  There are few things as sacred as a vote and a victory this evening would mean that our message has resonated with the citizenry.”

Shaw already has plans in the works for his first steps as mayor.

“My first steps will be to begin meeting with city staff, including all department heads, so we can hit the ground running in January,” said Shaw. “We have a number of pressing issues to address as a city, and none of the issues will get any easier to address with time.  My second step will be to thank those citizens and volunteers who secured the election for me.”

Shaw said his favorite part of the campaign has been the people he has met while going door-to-door.

“It is clear that citizens love Indianola and are optimistic about its future, and they are enthusiastic to convey this to candidates and civil servants,” said Shaw.

Despite the positive memories, Shaw said there were a few bumps along the road in his campaign.

• “My campaign staff and I made a concerted effort to keep the message of our campaign forward looking and positive,” said Shaw. “Unfortunately, that message became distorted a bit as issues over transparency and C Street rose once again. These passions illustrate the need for strong consensus building in city government, but I was saddened that the campaign took a brief, negative turn.  It was difficult to get back on the positive side of issues, but I think we eventually accomplished that.”

In the last month, both Shaw and Johnson have run a strong campaign on Simpson’s campus through programs such as Simpson Votes.

“I’d like to thank Jill Johnson for running an excellent campaign and for sticking her neck out to run,” said Shaw. “Running for public office moves you out of your comfort zone, so all candidates need to be applauded for taking a risk.”

See more results here.