Wellington Vice Mayor Howard Coates and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig secured new four-year terms Tuesday, easily beating back challenges from two political newcomers. Meanwhile, incumbent Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli narrowly won re-election.
In the race for Wellington Village Council Seat 2, Gerwig took 2,557 votes (63 percent) to 1,523 votes (37 percent) for seniors activist Sharon Lascola, according to unofficial results from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office.
In the race for Wellington Village Council Seat 3, Coates took 2,318 votes (57 percent) to 1,759 votes (43 percent) for education activist Matt Kurit, also according to unofficial results. Just under 4,100 voters took part in the Wellington election.
Meanwhile, the four-way mayoral race in Royal Palm Beach was fairly close, with Mattioli winning another two-year term, narrowly edging community activist Felicia Matula by just 33 votes, according to unofficial returns. Former Councilwoman Martha Webster and businesswoman Laurel Bennett trailed the frontrunners.
Out of 1,938 votes cast, Mattoli took 722 votes (37.25 percent), while Matula took 689 votes (35.55 percent). Webster placed third with 417 votes (21.52 percent), and Bennett was a distant fourth with 110 votes (5.68 percent).
Mattioli, who has served on the council for 20 years, four as mayor, has said that he will step down in 2016 when his new term ends.
ABOVE: Howard Coates and Anne Gerwig celebrate their re-election victories Tuesday night.
