Steven Giordano has won the race for Port St. Lucie mayor, defeating incumbent Shannon Martin after a closely watched campaign.
Giordano celebrated with supporters Tuesday night at Recovery Sports Grill in Tradition after pulling ahead with more than 51% of the vote. He defeated Martin by a margin of just over 2,400 votes.
WATCH REPORT BELOW:
Steven Giordano defeats incumbent Shannon Martin in Port St. Lucie mayoral raceThe outcome marked a significant turnaround from the August primary, when Martin finished nearly 13 percentage points ahead of Giordano.
Speaking at his election-night watch party, Giordano said he believed voters responded to his message and approach to the race.
"I think they saw somebody that was dedicated, that was here for all the right reasons," Giordano said. "I think they watched the debate."
Giordano said he wants to serve residents rather than approach the position as a politician.
"I think they saw somebody who is here for all the right reasons, that's not a politician, that's not here for money, that's here to do the right thing for the people," he said. "And I'm proud to be the people's mayor."
The general election followed a contentious August primary that included an FDLE investigation involving campaign signs. The investigation led to Martin's husband and two other Port St. Lucie police officers being placed on paid administrative leave, according to the reporter's script.
WPTV reached out to Martin for comment following the election results but had not received a response as of Tuesday night.
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