Just months after Nevada made history as the first state with a majority female legislature, a swift return to politics, as usual, seemed imminent when a former U.S. representative for the state accused of sexual harassment readied himself to re-enter politics by way of the Las Vegas City Council. But in an unexpected turn of events Tuesday night, that ex-lawmaker, Ruben Kihuen, did not prevail. Instead, Olivia Diaz and Melissa Clary ― the two leading female challengers he faced for the Ward 3 seat ― beat him out and will now progress to the runoff in June. That was a major moment for organizations that have spoken out against Kihuen, who declined calls for him to resign but did not seek re-election to the House in 2018 after three women came forward with allegations that he’d inappropriately touched them or made sexual advances toward them.

Getty Editorial Former U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen lost his bid to re-enter politics by five votes.

“These women ran incredible races that they can be proud of. We’re proud of them and ready for their leadership. Plain and simple, that’s why they came out on top last night,” Electra Skrzydlewski, Emerge Nevada board president, told HuffPost. Her organization, of which Clary also sits on the board, is dedicated to increasing the number of Democratic women seeking office in the state. Diaz and Clary, she continued, “ran because there is work that needs to be done in Ward 3, not because it was a convenient race to enter because of the findings of an ethics investigation impacted their career prospects in the era of #MeToo,” she said in reference to Kihuen. Diaz, a former state assemblywoman, came in first place Tuesday with just over 33 percent of the vote. While Kihuen was expected to nab second place and a spot in the runoff, Clary eked him out of the race at the end with a mere five votes.

Melissa Clary and Olivia Diaz, the victors in this primary, ran because there is work that needs to be done in Ward 3, not because it was a convenient race to enter because of the findings of an ethics investigation impacted their career prospects in the era of #MeToo. Electra Skrzydlewski, Emerge Nevada board president