Ames City Council incumbents Chris Nelson and Tim Gartin and newcomer Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen won local elections Tuesday night.

Incumbent Chris Nelson won the seat to represent Ward 4, the ward that contains most of Iowa State’s campus. Nelson received 555 votes; Nelson’s opponent Dan DeGeest received 381 votes.

Nelson, vice president of Nelson Electric Company, ran for re-election after a two-year term. In an interview with the Daily on Oct. 1, Nelson said the two-year term was not long enough to accomplish everything he wanted for Ames.

Nelson said throughout his campaign and during a student-led forum Oct. 24 that he prides himself on his willingness to listen to everyone involved in an issue and to make fair, balanced decisions.

Nelson waited for the results of the election with his supporters at Brick City Grill in Ames. Nelson said the news of his re-election was a relief.

“[The campaign] was a lot of hard work,” Nelson said.

He said he hopes his re-election is a reflection of his interest in listening to all sides of an issue in the community.

Nelson also praised his opponent’s campaign and hard work.

“I hope [DeGeest] continues to stay involved with the things that really interest him,” Nelson said.

Two of the cornerstones of Nelson’s campaign have been affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families and transportation in and around Ames.

Now that he’s been elected, Nelson said he plans to continue work on land use policies in Ames.

“We’ve taken steps forward on several of those fronts,” Nelson said, “but it’s something that takes a little bit of time, and I’m really happy to be able to have the next four years to finish some of the things [the council has] started.”

Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen won the at-large seat, a position that represents all of Ames. Beatty-Hansen received 2499 votes, while her opponent Matt Converse received 2191 votes.

Beatty-Hansen, an operations manager at Wheatsfield Cooperative, received a master’s in political science from Iowa State, where she studied the effects of local government. She said in a student-led forum Oct. 24 that her interest in local government has only grown since her graduate school research.

Beatty-Hansen said in an interview with the Daily on Oct. 1 that as an elected official she wants to hear from a diverse group of people.

Transportation and affordable housing were two focuses of Beatty-Hansen’s campaign, although she told the Daily that the city is already on the right path.

“I don’t have a huge agenda of change,” Beatty-Hansen said. “I think the community has done really well.

Beatty-Hansen awaited election results surrounded by friends and family at Torrent Brewing Company in downtown Ames. She received the news of her victory via text message and announced the results to a room of guests with a speech thanking everyone for their support.

Beatty-Hansen also commended her opponent for a running a great campaign.

“I look forward to serving Ames,” Beatty-Hansen said to cheers and applause.

Now that she’s elected, Beatty-Hansen said she will continue meeting with city and community leaders to stay current on important issues. Beatty-Hansen said she plans to “hit the ground running” when her term begins.

Tim Gartin, an incumbent councilman, won the Ward 2 seat unopposed. Gartin is an attorney and temporary instructor at Iowa State.

After serving two years on the council, Gartin was unopposed for re-election. He said in an interview with the Daily on Oct. 1 that he hopes this is a statement of approval by his constituents.

Gartin said he hopes to focus on community service and affordable housing during his second term.

“With a town our size and our heart we should be more involved,” Gartin said Oct. 1.

Throughout his campaign, Gartin expressed concern that Ames is losing residents to nearby communities with better housing options, such as Ankeny.

On election night, Gartin said he was proud of the Ames community and the other candidates’ campaigns for their hard work and civility. He said that regardless of the outcome of the election, everyone involved “made the world a better place.”

Now that he’s been re-elected, Gartin said the new council’s first big focus will be the city’s budget.

The Ames City Council election was one of many elections throughout Story County, which drew 7,104 voters to 37 polling locations. According to the county, the official turnout rate for the county was 13.11 percent.

Council members-elect will be sworn in Jan. 2, 2016 for the next term.