Mayor Elaine Walker popped open three bottles of champagne at 8:17 p.m. in celebration of her re-election.

She poured drinks for her guests at her house on State Street while her husband held his phone to her ear.

Her son had called to congratulate her. Then, her own phone rang. She held it to her ear and said, “Whoo!,” the other phone still held to her left ear.

It was the sheriff calling to tell her the results were official.

Walker won with about 58 percent of Bowling Green votes.

She is the first Bowling Green mayor to be re-elected, Walker said.

“We really did change so much,” she said to supporters after the call saying that she won. “And it now, appears we’re making history.”

Walker said issues that she and the city commissioners voted on during the last four years, such as housing, the smoking ban and the Tax Increment Financing District are emotional topics.

“When you stand before the voters and make tough decisions and they agree to bring you back, that feels good,” she said.

Former Mayor Patsy Sloan said Bowling Green residents like Walker because she has helped the city move forward.

“If you’re not making progress, you’re falling backwards,” she said.

Sloan was the first female mayor of Bowling Green. She served from 1988 to 1991, Sloan said.

Earlier in the night, Walker and her husband stood with their guests in front of the TV and watched the results for all of the races.

The guests clapped and yelled, struggling to not drop their plates of food and drinks, when the results from the counted precincts in favor of Walker ran across the screen.

She had abut 59 percent of votes in 33 of 42 precincts.

Walker’s husband, Dorian, told guests and reporters that he was confident after those results. Walker also said she was confident.

“We should get the champagne,” Walker said.

“I think we should wait a little,” Dorian Walker said.

Walker was elated with the report, clapping and smiling while anxiously watching the reported results of the city commission race.

She said she was more nervous about seeing who she would work with if she was elected than she was about being re-elected.

Reach Christina Howerton at news@chherald.com.