Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan won her re-election bid Tuesday, securing a fifth term.

In a close race, Vaughan beat challenger Justin Outling by about 400 votes.

“I knew that it was going to be a tight race because I had a very well financed opponent. I’m just pleased to have won no matter what that margin of victory is,” Vaughan said following Tuesday's results.

The race for mayor involved two faces familiar to Greensboro politics. Outling, who has represented Greensboro’s District 3 since 2015, and Vaughan, who was first elected to city council in 1997.

Outling came in second in the May primary, with about 35% of the vote in the nonpartisan election. Vaughan won about 45% of the vote in the primary, according to election results from the State Board of Elections.

Get full election results here

The July 26 election was marked by low turnout. About 12,300 people voted early in the municipal elections, according to the Guilford County Board of elections.

The election date was postponed last year because of COVID-related delays getting new census numbers. The city is required to use new population data to draw new city council districts every 10 years.

Greensboro is one of a handful of cities in North Carolina electing their next mayors and city councils Tuesday. Charlotte and Fayetteville also elected their next municipal leaders.

“I do want the voters to know that I think being mayor of the city of Greensboro is the best job in Greensboro. You really do it out of love and that is something that I have always done for this city. I’m just very honored that I will be able to continue that,” Vaughan said.

Vaughan had the endorsement of both the Greensboro Police Officers Association, the Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro and others. Outling ran with the endorsement of former Mayor Jim Melvin, Equality NC and others.

The mayor and new city council will be sworn in for the next term on Aug. 11.