Councilman Sam Couvillon won the Gainesville mayor seat Tuesday, Nov. 2, with 70.2% of the vote, defeating newcomer and U.S. Army veteran Devin Pandy.

Who is he: Couvillon has served as the Ward 1 City Councilman since 2013, and he works as a benefits agent at Turner, Wood and Smith. 

How he reacted: “It’s a good day. I’m certainly happy and humbled that the people of Gainesville have voted me for mayor.” Couvillon said he was confident that he would win going into tonight, but he had gotten to know Pandy well during the campaign and thinks he has a lot to offer the community. 

On the issues: Couvillon said he will focus on infrastructure improvements, responsibly managing growth and supporting the Gainesville Police Department as mayor. He has said he would like to sunset the midtown tax allocation district, which has helped spur significant growth downtown, in order to better support Gainesville’s school district.

What’s next: Couvillon said he hopes to continue the momentum that the current city council has. He stepped up once he learned Mayor Danny Dunagan wouldn’t run for his seat again, he said.