Republican incumbent Weston Wamp defeated Democrat Mark Herndon to win a second term as Hamilton County mayor on Thursday.
The race was incredibly close for most of the night as precincts rolled out their vote tallies. The lead flip-flopped between the two, with margins as slim as 100 votes as the night went on until Wamp eventually solidified his position.
Wamp earned 52.5% of the vote, with 33,840 votes to Herndon’s 30,665.
“Grateful to continue the work we’ve been doing for four years,” Wamp said in an interview.
Wamp’s team held an election night watch party at Whiskey Thief, a rooftop bar at the Edwin Hotel in downtown Chattanooga. Wamp did not make an appearance until he announced his victory around 11:15. Shortly before, his campaign team and supporters could be heard cheering inside Whiskey Thief.