Most incumbents on Richmond City Council successfully defended their seats in Tuesday’s election, overcoming challenges from several newcomers.

The election brought a few changes to the council, with a notable upset in the 3rd District and new representatives elected in two open seats.

In the 3rd District, incumbent Ann-Frances Lambert lost her seat to former Richmond School Board member Kenya Gibson, who earned 39.21% of the vote compared to Lambert’s 30.88% and community organizer Maria Carra Rose’s 29.2%.

“This campaign is proof that we can build a city for all of us, where each of us has a seat at the table,” Gibson said in a statement. “We have so much work to do, and I look forward to doing it with you.”

Elsewhere, 2nd and 5th District Council members Katherine Jordan and Stephanie Lynch secured their seats unopposed, while Andrew S. “Gumby” Breton and community advocate Sarah Abubaker will be new voices representing the 1st and 4th District, respectively.

Breton and Abubaker’s elections followed the exits of Andreas Addison and Kristen Nye from City Council, as he pursued the mayor’s office and she didn’t seek re-election.

“I am deeply honored and grateful to have earned the trust and support of voters in Richmond’s 1st District,” Breton said in a statement following their win. “The 1st District residents, like many across the city, seek a City Council that is effective and collaborative, and I am committed to working tirelessly to represent every voice, address the challenges ahead, and seize opportunities for a brighter Richmond.”

Breton, the current chair of the Richmond City Democratic Committee (RCDC), celebrated the “positive, respectful nature” of the race against longtime political fixture Paul Goldman and Richmond Public Schools parent Zac Walker. However, not every race was as amicable.

Candidates occasionally sparred over the state of City Council, with some challengers presenting themselves as necessary alternatives.

Incumbents, meanwhile, sought to balance the promises of past success and acknowledgements of failures in their campaigns.

A major point of contention was the three-way race for the 6th District seat between incumbent Ellen Robertson, her former liaison Tavares Floyd, and barber and community organizer Willie Hilliard. Robertson retained her seat with almost 53.3% of the vote compared to Floyd’s 14.42% and Hilliard’s 31.61%.

Robertson’s win followed a heated race that became consumed by controversy as reporting challenged aspects of Floyd’s campaign and his past statements. Criticism and scrutiny followed, and Floyd didn’t respond to the allegations until the last days of the election.

When it came to other races, Cynthia Newbille ended her race to retain her 7th District seat victorious, with the incumbent keeping her seat against campaign efforts of former Richmond Democratic Socialists of America Chair Eric Sundberg, with the final vote tally of 66.75% versus 32.54%.

The race between incumbent Reva M. Trammell and former judicial officer Frank H. Wilson Jr.’s race for the 8th District ended with the incumbent earning 67.44% of the vote.

Finally, the 9th District race saw incumbent Nicole Jones re-elected to City Council following a challenge by Army veteran and RCDC member Stephanie Starling, with 57.95% of votes going to Jones and 41.73% to Starling.