Bill Rawls Jr., elected the first African American mayor of Brownsville, Tennessee

Bill Rawls Jr. PHOTO/Bill Rawls

Bill Rawls Jr. has been elected mayor of Brownsville, Tennessee. He becomes the first African American elected to the position.

Rawls Jr. defeated incumbent Mayor Jo Matherne with almost 65 percent of the vote, according to complete but unofficial results from the Haywood County Election Commission. Rawls received 1,587 votes to 867 for Matherne.

Rawls who assumes office on July 8 to serve out a 4-year term has never held public office before. He is a small business operator – part owner of Brownsville’s Rawls Funeral Home.

According to the Mayor-elect, the decision to run “started with a conversation” with his campaign manager, “and we thought there was a need for change in our community and a lack of a sense of urgency, so we decided it would be in the best interest of everybody to just get it done.”

In 2010 Matherne won her first term as mayor by 236 votes, but she could not combat Rawls and his supporters Tuesday.

“I congratulate Mr. Rawls on a successful campaign, and assure him a smooth transition between administrations,” she said by phone after the results were announced.

Source: The Jackson Sun