Maypearl city council members met Thursday night and selected Jo Ann Mathers to be the next Mayor after a mayoral candidate won the May 4 election, but died two months ago.
Philip Veltman died of leukemia complications on March 15 at 71 years old, according to the Waxahachie Daily Light. The Maypearl city district clerk told NBC 5 that Veltman was already on the ballot when he died.
The city worked with Texas election officials on the situation.
Veltman received 68 of the 110 votes cast in the race, while his opponent, John Wayne Pruitt received 42, according to Ellis County elections.
The Maypearl City Council was charged with electing a new mayor. Mathers, a current City Council member, entered office in May of 2018.
Veltman was a high school teacher at Dallas Skyline, DeSoto and Longview Pine Tree for 12 years before spending 30 years working at Dr Pepper, according to the Daily Light. He moved to Maypearl in 1990 and lived there for the rest of his life.
