WINOOSKI, Vt. – Former city councilor and Winooski Housing Commission member Kristine Lott was elected mayor Tuesday night, defeating Eric Covey by a 650-478 margin, according to unofficial results.

Lott, who works for a non-profit education group, said it was her close relationship with the community that pushed her to victory.

“Since the New Year, I’ve been out every day knocking on doors, attending events, and hosting events for people to meet me,” Lott said. “I think all of that face time and that word of mouth has paid off. I also wanted to do the campaign without spending money to show that what really matters is interaction with the community itself.”

During her campaign, Lott said Winooski’s financial sustainability was one of her primary concerns. She said completing the city’s Main Street Revitalization and Myers Memorial Pool projects with an eye toward future impacts is important.

“As we implement those projects, we need to be thinking five to ten years out what the impact is going to be, and what is the best return on investment in both of those projects,” Lott said.

Both candidates entered the race after former mayor Seth Leonard announced in December that he would be resigning.