Voters in the city of Falls Church made history this week as Lawrence Webb became the first openly gay black man elected to public office in Virginia.

Webb announced his candidacy last fall and was up against several other candidates for the three open City Council seats in Tuesday’s general election. He won a seat by a margin of 39 votes with all precincts reporting. Nader Baroukh and Robin S. Gardner won the other two open seats.

In a statement, Webb said, “I also hope my election opens the door for others to get involved in public service. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or black or both. What matters is your dedication to building a better community, and your willingness to work hard at it. I’m glad the people of Falls Church agree.”

Although this marked Webb’s first bid for public office, he also serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and was appointed by former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner to the board of the Department of Correctional Education. Webb is currently an assistant dean of admissions at the University of Mary Washington.

Photo courtesy Vote Falls Church.