(Updated 6:15 with comments from Councilwoman Kathie Tovo)

Councilwoman Kathie Tovo will represent District 9 in the new 10-member Austin City Council next year following news that Councilman Chris Riley has withdrawn from a Dec. 16 runoff election.

Tovo earned 49.05 percent of the vote Nov. 4, just short of the majority support needed to win the council seat outright, and Riley earned 40.41 percent. Third-place challenger Erin McGann received 10.53 percent of the votes.

In a statement issued from Riley's campaign, he thanked his supporters and said he looks forward to working with the new council as an advocate.

"I remain dedicated to the ideals and policies I've championed, and I feel there is a path to victory in the runoff," Riley said in a statement. "But I also feel that, as we begin this new era with a new council, a contest that creates negativity and division is not how we should set the tone for Austin going forward."

Riley could not be reached for additional comment, but he did call Tovo to congratulate her on the victory. The announcement was news for the councilwoman, who had plans the next day to reorganize her campaign in anticipation of the Dec. 16 runoff election.

"I'm tremendously relieved and glad to also focus on the council work we have remaining," Tovo said early Friday evening. "I appreciate the work [Riley] has done, and I also appreciated that he reached out."

While the transition to the new 10-member council will be lessened for Tovo, she said it will be a shift in terms of addressing constituents, which starting next year will only be District 9 residents.

"I still will work with my colleagues on issues in areas outside District 9, absolutely, but my high-priority work begins here," she said.

Overall, Tovo said she considers the shift to regional representation a benefit for Austin as evidence by the increased voter awareness this election.

"Already the kinds of interactions the community is having with their potential council members is different," Tovo said. "I believe the new system will really change the relationship between the public and their council member."

Tovo was first elected to Austin City Council in 2011. She is the first incumbent council member guaranteed a spot on the new council, joining newcomers District 2 Councilwoman-elect Delia Garza and District 5 Councilwoman-elect Ann Kitchen. Councilman Mike Martinez could potentially join Tovo if elected mayor Dec. 16 in a runoff election—the same night as seven other council district runoff races—against attorney Steve Adler.

Tovo said only 16 women have been elected to Austin City Council since Emma Long gained support in 1948. Garza and Kitchen join her to make 18 women elected into local office.

"I look forward to reaching out to them both," Tovo said. "It's really something to already have three women on the new council."

Six of the seven runoff races have at least one female candidate, including District 10 in which Mandy Dealey and Sheri Gallo meet—guaranteeing at least four female council members next term.

During an interview on election night Tovo touted her campaign platforms of affordability, educational opportunities and smart growth as why she gained such substantial support.

"[Voters] want to preserve what we love about Austin," she said, including its environment and neighborhoods.

As potentially the only Austin City Council member to transition to the new 10-district council system, Tovo said she would work with the new elected officials to maintain Austin's quality of life.

"We're still figuring out how to make sure any development matches the value of the surrounding areas," she said.

Neighborhoods within District 9 include Bouldin, Cherrywood, Clarksville, Downtown, Hyde Park, Mueller, Pemberton, Travis Heights and West Campus.

All results are unofficial until votes are canvassed.