Pete Amos secured the Republican nomination Tuesday in the race for the District 1 Forsyth County commission post.

Amos received 1,742 votes, or about 64 percent of the total, to defeat Brant Meadows, who drew 963 votes, or about 36 percent.

Next up is the Nov. 2 general election, where he will face Democrat Mary Chatfield.

A lifelong county resident, Amos celebrated Tuesday night in Cumming with his wife, Catherine, and several supporters.

"We're just grateful to all the voters of District 1," he said. "They want something new out there."

Amos ran for the seat in 2006, when he carried the district but lost the countywide vote to Commissioner Charles Laughinghouse.

This year, Laughinghouse opted not to seek a third term.

Meadows quoted Bible verse Second Timothy 4:7 to sum up his campaign.

"I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I kept the faith," he said.

Amos is looking forward to continuing his campaign and plans to urge district Republicans and residents to get out and vote in the fall.

"We need to make sure we stay a conservative county, which I want to be," he said.