The entire experience, Brian Tam said, left him humbled.
"I will work very hard for this county, and I won't let anybody down," said Tam, who on Tuesday retained his District 2 seat on the Forsyth County commision. "There's work to be done."
Tam drew 6,902 votes, or 55 percent, besting nearest opponent Mike Busse by 4,089 votes. Busse, who declined to comment on the outcome, received 2,813 votes, or 23 percent.
"I will work very hard for this county, and I won't let anybody down," Tam said. "There's work to be done."
Since Tam recorded more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff -- once considered a strong possibility -- will be unnecessary.
"We ran a clean campaign," said Tam, whose new four-year term will begin in January. "We took the high road, and I'm glad we did."
Joseph Moore finished fourth with 978 votes, or about 8 percent.
"This was a stunning victory for Tam, but it's a crushing defeat for many people in Forsyth," Moore said.
Charlie Smith, who finished third with 14 percent, or 1,795 votes, said he was surprised a runoff would not be needed.
"Nobody in the county expected it to go like this," Smith said. "Nobody could have predicted there wouldn't be a runoff."
Smith said he was disappointed with low voter turnout for the primary, which numbered about 17 percent.
"I regret that for the county," Smith said. "I just have to wonder if the will of the county is truly reflected with such a low turnout."
Tam spent election night at his wife's restaurant, Tam's Backstage in Cumming, where at least 50 of the commissioner's supporters watched the results come across a big screen television.
State Rep. Mark Hamilton and Sen. Jack Murphy showed their support for the incumbent.
Hamilton addressed the group when about half of the precinct's results had been calculated.
"Brian's race is the only one I got involved in at a local level," Hamilton said. "At the state level, we like to work with people who bring their common sense and good business practices to the table, and I'm proud to call Brian a friend."