SOUTH POINT — South Point voters narrowly chose interim mayor Ron West over councilman David Classing to lead the village for the next four years, according to unofficial vote tallies on Tuesday night.

Jeff Gaskin, son of the late mayor Bill Gaskin, was also elected to serve his first term on council and incumbent Marlene Arthur was chosen by voters to serve her sixth council term.

Longtime councilman Buell Collins, who has served 16 years, was defeated in his bid for another term.

The race for mayor was close Tuesday night, decided late by provisional and absentee ballots counted at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

The pair was separated by just 24 votes with Classing in the lead, according to election machine results posted at polling stations at the close of voting.

But when all the ballots were tallied, West came out 35 votes ahead, defeating Classing for the post. West secured 51.38 percent of the vote, or 650 votes cast, while Classing received 48.62 percent of the votes or 615 votes cast.

“It was a hard fought race. “I have been mayor 14 months and I feel like I can continue to help make South Point a better place to live,” he said. “I look forward to more progress. I won’t promise anything I don’t feel like I can do and I’ll treat all the people of South Point equally.”

Classing, who will continue to serve as a councilman and said he intends to seek another term when his current term expires at the end of 2013, said he had no regrets about his bid to be mayor.

“The results are what they are,” he said. “I laid out the plan and did what you are suppose to do in an election, lay out your vision and work hard. I have no regrets.”

Classing thanked his supporters.

He said he has no plans to ask for a recanvass or recount of votes in addition to what is automatically triggered when election results are certified.

“I took the election fight and my goals to the people and they voted the way they did,” he said.

Gaskin and Arthur both secured large majorities to win council seats. Gaskin received 792 votes, or 39.19 percent of ballots cast; Arthur received 759 votes or 37.56 percent of ballots cast; Collins received 470 votes or 23.26 percent of ballots cast.

Gaskin, who has described himself as a “longtime political helper” for his late father, who served 30 years as South Point’s mayor, said he was looking forward to the opportunity serve on the council.

“I thank everybody for their confidence,” he said. “I look forward to serving the people in a new capacity in South Point,” He added he has served the people of South Point for more than 40 years as a Boy Scout leader, volunteer fire fighter, EMT, and auxiliary police officer.

Arthur said in a written statement that she would continue to make it a priority to “do what is best for the people who live in our village.”