Gilbert voters will elect a new mayor, but whether that happens on Tuesday depends on if one of the fourcandidates snags enough votes to avoid a runoff in November.

Brigette Peterson held a steady lead over Matt Nielsen and Lynne King Smith as results rolled in Tuesday. But Maricopa County elections officials continue to count ballots.

It's the first-time mayoral run for all four candidates, as Mayor Jenn Daniels is not seeking reelection.

Peterson who watched results come in with her husband athome and on Zoom with friends said she was really excited about the initial results butverycautiousbecause she knows there are many morevotesto be counted.

Its really too soon to know, Peterson said. I'm hoping that the lead remains. If we can win this outright, that would be even better, but if we go on to the general, I'm ready for that.

Gilbert mayoral candidate Brigette Peterson checks results on primary election night.(Photo: Courtesy of Brigette Peterson)

If no one mayor candidate getsmore than 50% of the vote in the Aug. 4 primary election, the top two vote-getters will squareoff in the general election on Nov. 3.

Three town council seats also were on the ballot.

Four candidates competedfor two council seats with the usual four-year terms.Kathy Tilque and Scott Anderson are leading, followed by Tyler Hudgins and BusolaObayomi, initial returns show.

If no one gets more than 25% of the votes, all four will go on the November ballot.If one candidate gets enough votes, the next two top vote-getters will face off inNovember.

Laurin Hendrix and Bill Spence were practically tied fora council seat that carries a two-year term, according to early ballot returns.

If no one gets more than 50%of the votes, the top two vote-getters will go to a November runoff.

The initial results include nearly all ballots cast before election day andmail-in ballots, apart from those dropped off at the polls on Tuesday.

Early results show the town's new General Planhas a large margin of voter approval.

Voting got underway in early July and wrappedup Tuesday atvote centers throughout metro Phoenix.

ELECTION RESULTS:See who won in Arizona's August primary election

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King Smith, who handily outraised the other mayoral candidates, is the founder of a ticketing software company and co-working space in Gilbert.

She campaigned on providing strong leadership as Gilbert approaches build-out, supporting businesses and building a "Gilbert for all."

King Smith hosted a Zoom watch party with friends, family and supporters as results came in Tuesday evening.

Nielsen, a charter school management executive, is a political newcomer, as is King Smith.

Nielsen is focused on returning government to a more limited role and campaigned on conservative values. He said he wants to maximize individual liberty and minimize government interference.

Peterson resigned from her Town Council seat, as the law requires, to run for mayor. She has said she would bring the necessary experience to the mayoral seat. Her priorities are job growth, public safety and responsible growth.She's an advocate for transportation and planning improvements.

Joshua Lipscomb, the write-in candidate,wants to investin south Gilbert, diversifythe town, expandtwo-lane roads, protectfarmers and increasepublic safety, according to his campaign on Instagram.

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Thecandidates in the race for two Town Council seats with full, four-yearterms are:

Tilque, who led the pack in initial results, said she was excited, but waiting eagerly for more of the vote count to roll in.

We have a lot more votes coming in, so were hoping that were going to be able to maintain that lead and kind of wrap this up for the primary, she said.

Tilquesaid she was confident going into theprimary, butdidnt know what to expectgiven how unique campaigning was during the pandemic.She expressed gratitude for her opponents behavior during the race.

In myparticular race, I felt that everybody was runningareally honestrace, talking about their credentials and thequalities that they bring, and there wasnt that negative politicking going on. I was really thankful for that.

Anderson, also in the lead, said he was pleased with the early results and hopes the race will be decided at the primary, without a November runoff.

The candidates vying for the council seat with a two-year term are:

Have election thoughts fromGilbert? Reach the reporter at Alison.Steinbach@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

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Peterson has a slight lead in the Gilbert mayoral race. Here's a closer look at mayoral and council results - AZCentral