Sonya Williams Barnes concedes Gulfport mayoral election

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- Following the conclusion of the municipal election, Democratic Mayoral Candidate Sonya Williams Barnes issued a statement.

Williams Barnes said in part, “While we didn’t win the election, what we accomplished together was nothing short of extraordinary. In past elections, about 2,000 voters would determine who leads our city. But this time, over 13,000 citizens made their voices heard. That kind of turnout is not only historic — it’s transformative.”

According to unofficial election night returns, Keating received 53 percent of the vote to Barnes’ 46 percent. These numbers include absentee ballots, which were added to the vote totals just after midnight.