LAKEWOOD, Ohio - City councilwoman Meghan George narrowly beat out Sam O’Leary for mayor of Lakewood, according to unofficial election results.

Over the course of Tuesday night, the results flipped back and forth between George and council president Sam O’Leary, but with a final push of results, George took the election with 50.73 percent of the votes.

That’s less than 200 votes of about 13,200 separating the two candidates. Absentee ballots are partially reported for Lakewood, according to the board of elections website.

As of 12:10 a.m. Wednesday, the margin was not close enough to trigger an automatic recount.

Neither candidate responded immediately to request for comment.

George will replace Mayor Mike Summers, who chose not to run after nine years in office. The mayoral salary, which includes duties as public safety director, is over $100,000.

George and O’Leary both grew up in Lakewood and graduated from Lakewood High School. George is the daughter of former Lakewood mayor Thomas George.

O’Leary took his council seat in 2013, while George won her seat in 2017. He will no longer serve on council, beginning in 2020.

Voters also decided on three council seats: Tess Neff in Ward 1, Jason Shachner in Ward 2 and John Litten in Ward 3.

Lakewood voters were inundated with campaign fliers and phone polls throughout the mayoral race. Some candidates, including George, refused to answer a survey from a new Lakewood PAC formed by officials tied to former mayor and county executive Ed Fitzgerald.

During the campaign, the candidates – both Democrats in their 30s -- advocated for similar priorities for Lakewood, one of Cleveland’s largest suburbs, which balances an aging population and a flood of Millennials and renters.

Summers endorsed O’Leary. Councilman Tristan Rader endorsed George. Yard signs in the city for both sides were plentiful.

O'Leary emphasized his experience and a desire to continue Lakewood’s momentum as a thriving inner-ring suburb.

But O’Leary was on council during the sale of Lakewood Hospital, a move that split the community and eroded some residents’ trust in local government. The controversy, even years later, still comes to the forefront in Lakewood’s political conversations, including in the city’s three contested city council races.

George ran on a platform of transparency and staying connected with the community, as well as her ability to work as a convener and stay on top of the city’s finances