In a race that ended in a close finish for the top three candidates, Thursday’s Ward 1 election ended in a likely runoff between Thomas “T.J.” Mayfield, and either Daryl Hollingsworth or Kevin L. Winters Sr.

Unofficial election results, not including absentee ballots – which have not yet been counted – put Mayfield in the lead with 515 votes, followed by Hollingsworth with 159 and Winters in a close third place with 148 votes.

Thursday’s unofficial numbers give Mayfield just over 42 percent of the 1,198 votes cast.

The special election’s rules stipulate that if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will take place between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the special election.

Following Thursday’s vote, Mayfield said he is grateful for the support of the community, both in the special election and in the wake of his father Michael Mayfield Sr.’s death in March, which opened the vacancy the election will fill.

“It’s exciting,” Mayfield said of Thursday’s results. “Of course, it’s another three weeks that we have to beat the pavement and work to get the people out to vote again. I’m appreciative to the people who did come out to vote for me. To my opponents, there’s no ill will. And to anybody who supported me or didn’t support me, I hope I can get your vote in three weeks.”

Hollingsworth also said he will keep promoting the message he has campaigned on since the election’s start.

“My heart’s with the city, so I just want to get back in there and see if we can find some more votes,” he said.

City officials said absentee ballots could take up to five days to count, but if official numbers maintain current percentages, a runoff will take place Thursday, May 30.

Unofficial numbers from Thursday’s election for all ten candidates included: Mayfield, 515; Hollingsworth, 159; Winters, 148; Bobbie Bingham Morrow, 111; Charles Selmon, 109; Gregory E. Bingham, 41; Michael Gates, 38; Jamma Williams, 37; Warren Jones, 21; Joseph E. Williams, 19.