When the polls closed in Tallulah Saturday, funeral home director Eddie Beckwith Jr. was mayor of the northeast Louisiana city of just fewer than 8,600 residents.

Beckwith defeated Madison Parish Police Juror Paxton J. Branch by 206 votes and succeeded three-term incumbent Theodore Lindsey, who finished fourth in the primary.

A total of 2,220 votes were cast.

The mayoral race heated up days before voters made their way to the polls. Charges and countercharges by each candidate surfaced.

Beckwith had the most votes leading up to the election, leading a six-candidate field in the April 1 primary with 30 percent of the vote.

Branch, in his second attempt at winning the mayor’s office, received only 18 percent of the vote in the 2002 mayoral primary. He earned a spot in Saturday’s runoff by polling 25 percent of the vote in the primary.

Branch garnered 45 percent in Saturday’s election, compared to Beckwith’s 55 percent. Both Democrats beat out Lindsey, who had 17 percent of the vote in the primary.

Voters in District 2 also elected Henry J. Williams as their councilman to the five-member city council with 63 percent, or 283, of the votes. Williams defeated incumbent Janet K. Clark, who finished with 37 percent, or 167, of the votes. Clark finished second to Williams in the primary, polling 30 percent compared to Williams’ 42 percent.