Gay Mayor Elected in Gainesville By 35 Votes

City commissioner Craig Lowe won the election for mayor in Gainesville, Fla. Tuesday evening by 35 votes. If he survives an automatic recount triggered by the narrow margin, he will become the first openly gay mayor in a North Florida city.

Lowe defeated Don Marsh in a run-off election marked by antigay attacks including a"No Homo Mayor"billboard placed on the front lawn of a church.

According toGayPolitics.com, "Gainesville joins municipalities as diverse as Houston, Texas, with 2.2 million residents, and Dillon, Colorado, population 800 -- both of which have elected openly LGBT mayors in the past year."