BRONSON, Fla. (WCJB) – A recently elected Levy County commissioner is expressing relief at the recount because the winner’s margin was so small.

Newly elected Levy County 5th District Commissioner Johnny Hiers won by 19 votes. Hiers received 5,066 votes, defeating Zach Bullock, who received 5,047 votes.

The recount for this seat took place last weekend because the razor-thin result triggered an automatic recount. District law requires a recount in elections where the margin is so small that no clear winner can be determined.

RELATED: UPDATE: Johnny Hiers and Meredith Paige Martin win recount in Levy County

Hiers says he is grateful to all his supporters, including his wife, who has been campaigning for him since January.

“She was campaign manager, she was my sign team, she did everything,” Hiers said. “She put in a lot of time, so I have to give her a lot of the credit.”

Hiers says he and his wife Marla have learned a lot throughout the process and are grateful for it.

“We’ve been wondering how the process would work since January,” Hiers said. “We’ve learned a lot because we’ve never been in office before and we’ve never run for office before.”

The longtime real estate agent says he has many hobbies besides his passion for serving Levy County.

“I like fishing, I like hunting and I like spending time with my family. We go to ball games and everything that a family does,” Hiers said.

He says he is also looking forward to bringing his qualities, which include transparency and honesty, to his position.

Hiers says his main goal is to use common sense and advocate for the residents of his district. He also says he hopes to preserve the area’s rural heritage by managing Levy County’s growth.

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