Incumbent Chris Smith will serve another four-year term in the Covington City Council Post 1 East seat.

Tuesday night, unofficial election results revealed that Smith defeated challenger Maurice Carter 346 votes (55.81 percent) to 274 votes (44.19 percent).

Smith was first elected in 2010, when he ran unopposed to fill the seat being vacated by longtime councilman John Howard. He thanked the voters for their support.

"I would like to thank the citizens of the east district for placing their confidence in me and electing me to serve another four years on the council. I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor and council to continue to move Covington forward," Smith said in an email.

Smith is co-owner of Newton Electric Supply, where he runs day-to-day operations, serves on the advisory committee at Georgia Piedmont Technical College for the paramedic program, is the city’s representative on the Newton College and Career Academy Board of Directors, and also serves on various other boards in the community.

Carter, husband of former Covington mayor Kim Carter, who served for one term, said Tuesday night that results were not what he hoped for or what he expected.

“I’m disappointed, but I’m proud of the campaign that we ran and I’m deeply honored by the people who worked for me, with me, who shared the vision that I have,” Carter said. “We did all that we could do and the votes are in.”

Though Carter did not win the election, he encouraged citizens to stay involved with what happens in their city.

“I just want to encourage the people who shared that vision and worked as hard as they did, to not give up and to remain engaged in the process and to care about what happens in our city and work with the people who are in there,” he said.

“It takes a whole community. It’s not six people. It’s not a mayor and council. It takes the whole community, and I believe every citizen should do what they can to contribute.

“I offered my service and I certainly will continue to serve the community in a number of ways — it just won’t be this one,” Carter said.

A total of 620 voters voted in the east ward election. There are 3,212 active registered voters for the City of Covington East Ward, according to the Newton County Board of Elections.