Jesse Gibson, a Liberian-American pastor who contested a Nov. 5 city council election for the central Massachusetts city of Worcester, has lost, according to unofficial results from the city government.

Gibson received the least number of total votes, just 2.79 percent, although he earned some of the highest votes in a prior preliminary election on Sept. 10.

Gibson disclosed in a Bush Chicken interview before the November polls that he was contesting these elections “so that Worcester would be a better place for all of us.”

His campaign championed more funding for youth skills-building programs and other initiatives targeting the reduction in illicit drug use and underage drinking.

Gibson’s campaign also prioritized policies supporting the elderly, especially those with immigrant backgrounds, about how best to access badly needed city and state resources.

Approximately 22 percent of Worcester’s residents are foreign-born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

If elected, Gibson would have become the first Liberian-born to be elected on the city council. This, he believed, would have created a positive image for African immigrants in the city and across the state.

Featured photo courtesy of Jesse Gibson