Grateful, honored and tired. That was how Jeffrey Worrell described his reaction to hearing that he won about 60 percent of the votes in the town of Pulaski's mayoral election.

"It was a grueling campaign. I campaigned hard," Worrell said.

Worrell, who has served on the Pulaski Town Council for the past 10 years, beat out retired Pulaski native Dean Cox and Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Terri Fitzwater-Palmore for the position.

"It was a positive campaign, and I want to thank Terri and Dean for that," Worrell said.

Worrell is a lifelong Pulaski resident and works as a technician at Appalachian Power Co. He is a member of the board, chairman and deacon of First Christian Church in Pulaski and represents the town of Pulaski on the Peppers Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority and Virginia's First Regional Industrial Facility Authority.

He lives with his wife, Marcie, and has three grown stepchildren.

Worrell will take office July 1, along with council members Joel Burchett, Robert Bopp and Morgan Welker.

Burchett, 41, has already served a four-year term on the council, but Bopp, 32, and Welker, 24, are new to public office.

All four heard the news at a Pulaski Town Council meeting Tuesday night.

Bopp said he is looking forward to "working with the rest of the council members to try to make some good, positive progress in Pulaski."

Of making the transition from council member to mayor, Worrell said: "It's a much greater leadership responsibility. I think you have to establish a climate of honesty and integrity for the whole council and the whole town, rather than just being a contributor to it as a council member."

Of the town's 5,123 registered voters, 959 turned out to vote Tuesday, according to Pulaski General Registrar Kathy Webb.

Voter turnout, at about 18 percent, is up from the 2006 election, which Webb said only brought out 6 percent of voters.