RENO — Sparks Mayor Geno Martini survived a challenge by Councilman Ron Schmitt, while businessman Ed Lawson defeated union-supported Bob Lopes for an open City Council seat in Tuesday’s election.

After the results were in, Martini and Schmitt spoke about the end of the campaign season at two different election night parties Tuesday night.

Both candidates said the mayoral race was conducted in a positive manner and gave something refreshing to voters in an election season dominated by negative advertising in other state races.

“I think positive campaigning resonated very well with people,” Martini said while attending a party for Republican candidates at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino.

Schmitt, who attended a GOP event held at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, said that whatever the outcome, the race was beneficial to Sparks.

“I think it’s been a great race for the citizens of Sparks because this is the first time in a long time there has been a very competitive mayor’s race,” Schmitt said. “It’s a good thing for democracy when we have competitive races.”

Schmitt said his motivation for running stemmed from the need he felt to better address the city’s economic woes.

“I felt like it was time for a change in leadership to focus on that,” Schmitt said.

But by the end of the night, 58 percent of voters had elected Martini to another term as Sparks mayor.

Martini said his working relationship with Schmitt would not change, however, despite the intense race between the two.

Schmitt said he thinks people see him in a different light now that he ran for the highest office in Sparks.

“This has put me in a different position,” he said, “and I think it’s put the mayor in a different position, too. We’ve had to sit down and really be honest with the community on how we feel about things. I think the community now sees two great leaders.”

Schmitt, who has two years left on his term as Ward 5 councilman, said his focus in the next year would be increasing the number of special events held in Sparks as a way of generating greater revenue and traffic for both the city and local business owners.

Martini said several other considerations would be a primary concern of his in the next year.

“I think we need to focus on the budget,” he said, adding that long-term fixes were sorely needed. “We’re bracing” for up to $5 million in budget cuts, Martini added.

Martini also cited a number of road projects as a high priority for the coming year.

Lawson, a salesman with the local office of Young Electric Sign Company, will occupy the Ward 2 council seat vacated by Phil Salerno.

Lawson also watched the election results come in at the Silver Legacy election night party held for Republican candidates. Even before the final tallies came in, Lawson said he felt good about the campaign he had run.

“I can look in the mirror and shave with no regrets,” he said. “I compromised none of my family values. I compromised none of my business values.”

Lopes, Lawson’s opponent, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Now, Lawson said, “It’s time to put my money where my mouth is.”

Lawson said one his primary goals as a Sparks councilman would be to recruit new businesses to the area in order to grow jobs and improve the city’s economic climate.

“I have my finger literally on the pulse of what’s going on in the city of Sparks,” he said. “I’m going to work the hardest every day.”