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By the end of February, it looked as though Stephanie Eickhoff faced insurmountable odds.

The Edwardsville City Council member was down after the primary election, facing an incumbent mayor, Luther Pickell, who had more than 40 years of service in the community.

Pickell had received 41 percent of the vote in February with Eickhoff receiving just more than half that amount.

She didn't let the outcome deter her, she said.

She was determined to make up the gap.

Yet, she had no idea that she would make up the gap by pulling away with 60 percent of the vote in the general election.

"This is surreal," she said at her post-election party Tuesday. "I thought maybe I would win by 10 votes, but this is unbelievable."

Eickhoff credits her victory to the door-to-door campaign she embarked on after the primary.

"I went to every house in the city of Edwardsville, and those that weren't home, I called," she said.

Out of 770 votes cast, Eickhoff received 468 votes, 60.78 percent, to Pickell's 298 votes, 38.70 percent.

She said residents were ready for change.

"I have all the respect in the world for Luther, he's done a great service to the city over the years," she said, "but I think residents were ready to move forward."

Although Tuesday's results were surreal for Eickhoff, the election was a disappointment for Pickell.

Yet, he remains philosophical about the outcome.

"I ran in my first election in 1965, and I've been running ever since, and never lost, until now. I guess there's a first time for everything," he said.

Pickell said that maybe it is time for a change.

"I feel like I've given my best to the community," he said.

" I do appreciate all the citizens of Edwardsville who have supported me," he later added.

But he did have an opinion on why he lost the election.

He thought the support Eickhoff received from the Fraternal Order Police, the local union for Edwardsville police officers, put her over the top.

He thinks his decision to back City Administrator Doug Spangler's decision to give the police officers a smaller percentage raise this year hurt his campaign. He still supports his decision because after evaluating the books, the police officers had already received a substantial increase and the city could not afford to give them more, he said.

"When they're out campaigning for her instead of doing their job, she's going to win," he said.

Eickhoff campaigned on having a more open government. Making sure residents are informed about issues before the council makes a decision. Something she thought had been lacking in the last two years.

She plans to keep that promise.

"I campaigned on an open-door policy and I will keep that promise," she said.

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