Since Richmond Hill was incorporated in 1962, only five men have been called mayor -- and Richard Davis has held the title for two decades.

Beginning Jan. 1, Harold Fowler becomes Richmond Hill’s sixth mayor after he defeated councilman Floyd Hiliard 580-422 on Tuesday.

His reaction?

"It’s really unexplainable," Fowler said about the moment he got the news Tuesday evening that he had won the election. "A wave came over me and all the stress that had built up over the last several months was immediately relieved."

He said the news was met with a roar of applause from his wife, friends and supporters who gathered at What’s the Scoop Café on Election Day.

Four years ago, when he ran against Davis for mayor, Fowler said "many of the old timers told me I didn’t stand a chance."

Fowler lost that election 526 to 427.

-Read more in the Bryan County News.