BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The City of Gonzales has elected a new mayor after a runoff election Saturday, marking the first new mayor for that city since 2008.

Darrow, Louisiana native Timothy Riley won the election with 54 percent of the vote, becoming the first Black mayor in that Ascension Parish city’s history.

He defeated runoff challenger Kemlyn Bailey Lomas.

Voter turnout in the city was 28.9 percent, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Lomas was endorsed by former Gonzales Mayor Barney Arceneaux, who stepped down earlier this year to lead the Louisiana Municipal Association.

Riley, a graduate of St. Amant High School, is currently a Gonzales city council member.

While working as a part-time longshoreman for Cooper T. Smith, he attended Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to his online biography. He eventually became a fulltime employee at Cooper T. Smith, where he worked until his early retirement in 2003.

Riley is married to Mary L. Joseph-Riley, a native of Donaldsonville. They are the parents of five children.

Four candidates initially entered the race for Mayor of Gonzales including Lomas, Riley, Terance Irvin and Harold Stewart.

Riley led the field in the November election, receiving 44 percent of the vote. Lomas came in second with 23 percent, sending the two into a runoff.

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