NEWTON COUNTY – LeAnne Long will become District 5’s new commissioner after she defeated Democratic challenger Tiijon DaCosta in Tuesday’s election.

Long, who is a longtime member of District 5, led throughout the entire night, garnering 58.89 percent of the vote at 7,212 votes. While DaCosta got over 5,000 votes, he came up short at 41.11 percent.

After filling in as commissioner over two decades ago, Long will return to the board on a full-fledged basis. She will succeed incumbent Ronnie Cowan, who opted not to seek re-election.

Long expressed her appreciation to her supporters in a statement to The Covington News.

“I can't wait to start working and I'm grateful to all my supporters and my family for all their hard work,” Long said. “A lot of people don't realize how much effort and money it takes to run a successful campaign, while also running a successful business! But I know it's all worth it to achieve our goals and save our County!”