WHITEWRIGHT, Texas (KTEN) — Sarah Beth Owen will soon take the gavel for the City of Whitewright. 

"It was a wonderful opportunity and I'm so humbled to be selected to be the new mayor of Whitewright," Owen said. 

Owen beat Barry Wheeler 162-140 in Saturday's municipal election. She had previously served on the city council from 2017 to 2019, and she already has items to cross off her to-do list once she takes office. 

"We need to get our financials together and work on a comprehensive plan to move the city forward, and work on building unity and having a path forward is the first step in changing and making progress with all of the issues in town," Owen said. 

She is also focused on what has been successful in the city thus far. 

"We have great city staff between EMS, fire, public works, city hall staff and the police department," Owen said. "They really work great together, and have really shown strides in that unity, and I would like to bring that to the community and try to unify everyone and move forward as a whole."

Vanessa Edsall has called Whitewright home for the past eight years; she is eager to see the city become a destination for Texas visitors.

"The more progress that we here in Whitewright would make a big difference and impact not just on the residents, but for people that move here to Texas," Edsall said. 

Owen will be sworn in as mayor on May 14 at 5 p.m.