FAIRMONT – Former school board member Debbie Foster is returning to public life. Foster won the race for mayor of Fairmont on Tuesday, defeating local businessman Richie Johnson by a margin of 2,523 votes (52 percent) to 2,348 votes (48 percent).

In other city races:

In the at-large race for City Council, businessman Tom Hawkins defeated Chad Askeland, a current member of the council, with Hawkins winning 58 percent of the vote to Askeland’s 42 percent.

In Ward 2, Ruth Cyphers got the nod, winning 64 percent of the vote to outlast rival Ed Willett, who got 36 percent.

In Ward 4, challenger Wayne Hasek was elected to the council, managing 51 percent of the vote. Hasek defeated incumbent Terry Anderson, who wound up with 48 percent of the vote.