Election 2013: Pilla Concedes Victory to Pagano, But Repubicans Fail to Take Clear Control in Port Chester

Update, 12:30 a.m. Wednesday - Election Day ended for the Port Chester Democrats on a “bittersweet” note Tuesday night as incumbent Mayor Dennis Pilla's re-election bid failed to Republican Neil Pagano, but the election of three Democratic and an independent candidate to the board of trustees puts Democrats in a position of strength.

Pilla gave a concession speech at their election night headquarters around 12:30 a.m. today after Dems heard the unofficial election results declaring his challenger, Pagano winner.

Although the Democrats lost their mayor, they celebrated what they considered a victory with the re-election of Daniel Brakewood and Luis Marino, and the election of Greg Adams along with the election of independent candidate Gene Ceccarelli to the village board.

“What a tremendous day,” Pilla told the crowd gathered at Acuario restaurant on North Main Street. “This campaign was about electing a board of trustees that can work together and we accomplished that objective.”

At the end of the night, Pilla shed a few tears as supporters hugged him and thanked him for his work as mayor.

Brakewood thanked Pilla and said he is very happy to be on the board with Marino, Adams - a former trustee - and Ceccarelli.

“There are a lot of issues we have to deal with and I think Mayor Pilla has helped set the village up for a lot of success and I think its up to us to push ball over goal line,” Brakewood said.

Here are the unofficial election tallies as announced by the Village Clerk's Office this morning:

Mayor

Neil J. Pagano, R,C,I, 1,585

Dennis G. Pilla, D, 1,347

Trustee (six seats)

Luis Marino, D, 2,903 (W)

Daniel Brakewood, D, 2,497 (W)

Gene Ceccarelli, Pride in Port Chester, 2,147 (W)

Saverio Terenzi, R, C, I, 1,804 (W)

Gregory Adams, D, 1,654 (W)

Joseph D. Kenner, R, 1,621 (W)

Bart Didden, C, I, 1,590

Frank Ferrara, R, 1,583

Ricardo Dos Anjos, C, 1,156

John W. Reavis Jr., Coalition Party, 443

Didden said early this morning that his tally from poll watchers put him down by just 13 votes and that he would be seeking a re-count of the votes.

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Update, 11 p.m. Tuesday

Port Chester Democrats have announced that Daniel Brakewood and Luis Marino are unofficially locked in as winners in this year's village elections. They are still waiting for about 400 early voter numbers to count to make final call on the other four trustee seats and mayor. Democratic candidates are gathered at Acuario on North Main Street where they have been posting the results over the last two hours.

Around 10:30 p.m. the Dems made an announcement that gave the unofficial numbers for all Election Day voting:

Pilla: 1143

Pagano: 1315

Brakewood: 2150

Marino: 2464

Ceccarelli: 1706

Terenzi: 1523

Didden: 1440

Adams: 1480 

Kenner: 1317

Ferrara: 1325

Dos Anos: 923

Reavis: 329

According to the Democrats’ numbers, about 10 percent of Port Chester’s population of eligible voters turned out to vote today. About 2,500 people out of the village’s approximately 23,200 people over the age of 18 voted in the mayoral election.

Brakewood and Marino, both incumbents, thanked their voters for their support this year and said they are ready to get to work with whoever else is elected to the board.

“I am looking forward to getting past the election and getting back to work to get Port Chester to a whole new level,” Brakewood said.

Working to promote development on the waterfront, get “Starwood” on track and getting to work on the budget are priorities for the councilman, he said.

Marino also emphasized the need to get to work with the Starwood site and to improve the police station.

“Whoever is on the board, I want to work together for the people of Port Chester. I love Port Chester,” he said. 

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The 12 candidates in Tuesday's Port Chester village elections are at makeshift headquarters throughout the village tonight awaiting results now that polls have closed.

Poll workers are bringing tally sheets from voting machines to Port Chester Village Hall. At restaurants scattered throughout the village, Democrats, Republicans and Conservaties are also tallying results gathered from their poll watchers.