Gilvin is Alpharetta’s new mayor; Richard, Hipes elected to council

Jim Gilvin (left) is the newest mayor of Alpharetta, edging out Chris Owens in the special election to succeed David Belle Isle. Karen Richard (center) and John Hipes (right) join the council.

Jim Gilvin (left) is the newest mayor of Alpharetta, edging out Chris Owens in the special election to succeed David Belle Isle. Karen Richard (center) and John Hipes (right) join the council.

The city of Alpharetta has a new mayor and two new council members.

In Tuesday's special election, former councilman Jim Gilvin edged out former councilman Chris Owens for the mayoral seat, according to unofficial results posted by Fulton County.

Gilvin, who garnered 53.2 percent of the vote, will succeed former Alpharetta mayor David Belle Isle. More than 7,190 people voted in the mayoral race.

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Belle Isle resigned in February to run for Georgia's Secretary of State. That race, between Republican candidates Belle Isle and state Rep. Brad Raffensberger of Johns Creek, is headed to a runoff. The winner will face former U.S. Congressman John Barrow, a Democrat, in the general election.

Because Gilvin and Owens had to resign from the council to run for mayor, that left two seats open on the city’s council. Karen Richard topped Katie Harding for the Post 3 seat, while John Hipes won the Post 4 seat.

Richard, who won 58 percent of the vote, has lived in Alpharetta since 2005 and has served on the city’s planning commission for the past six years. Hipes, who won 55 percent of the vote, runs a law firm with the former mayor, Belle Isle.

Gilvin has been on the city council since 2011 and has lived in Alpharetta since the 1990s with his wife and two kids. He has a degree in finance from Georgia Southern University. On his campaign website, Gilvin says his top priority will be to "ensure city policies reflect balanced growth outlined in Alpharetta's comprehensive plan."

Gilvin, Richard and Hipes will be serving the remainder of their terms which expire Dec. 31, 2019.

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