Leichty elected first female mayor of Goshen

GOSHEN, Ind. - Gina Leichty made history in Goshen on Tuesday, becoming the first female mayor in Goshen's history.

The Democratic candidate ran against Republican Benjamin Rogers to fill the seat left behind by former mayor Jeremy Stutsman.

In May, Leichty was elected as Stutsman's replacement until the municipal election. Stutsman announced in March that he was stepping down as mayor and joining the LaCasa, Inc. leadership team as its Chief Executive Officer. 

Stutsman endorsed Leichty as his replacement. 

In the end, Leichty believes it's her long track record of service that won her the votes over her 29-year-old opponent. 

"I think a lot of people know how many years that I’ve spent working on behalf of the city of Goshen, and I think that experience really paid off, and was the deciding factor in choosing me to be the next mayor," she said.