The City of Columbus has elected its first female mayor. Teresa Tomlinson beat her opponent in Tuesday’s runoff election by a 2 to 1 margin.

The 45-year old Columbus attorney will be sworn in January 3rd. She says her top priorities are to rebuild distressed areas and increase economic development.

Tomlinson says she did not think about gender during the campaign. However, since being elected there’s been an outpouring of sentiments from women about the historical significance of her win.

“Like so many people who benefit from the hard work whether it’s civil rights, the women’s movement. I’ve long in a sense taken it for granted and ran as a candidate because I felt I was the best candidate.”

Tomlinson says her administration will be younger and more diverse. One of the first things she’ll do is conduct efficiency audits of city government. She’ll also hold regular mayoral cabinet meetings to allow for what she calls greater oversight and supervision.

Tags: Georgia, politics, Columbus, Teresa Tomlinson, 2010 runoff election