Veteran Capitol Police Officer Bill Cleveland (R) lost his bid Tuesday to be mayor of Alexandria, Va., falling to fellow City Council Member William Euille (D).

Unofficial results show Euille taking 52 percent of the vote compared to 41 percent for Cleveland. Independent candidate Townsend A. Van Fleet received 7 percent. Democrats also swept the city council’s six seats.

The upbeat, 54-year-old Cleveland took the loss in stride.

“The future is wide open to me,” he asserted. “I’m glad to have served the people for 15 years, and I will continue serving in some way in civilian life.”

Cleveland’s showing was significant given the GOP had not fielded a mayoral candidate in Alexandria, a Democratic stronghold, since 1994. The city has not elected a Republican mayor since Reconstruction.

Tuesday’s historic election pitted two black candidates — Cleveland and Euille — against each other for the first time in Alexandria, a former slave-trading port.