By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Several voting glitches around the state that delayed the count of absentee and write-in ballots have caused some sleepless nights for candidates in close races, and none more so than for Jean Philippe Barros.

Unofficial results on Tuesday showed that the 44-year-old Lafayette Street resident had won the District 5 council seat that had been held for 16 years by incumbent Democrat Mary E. Bray by 83 votes. However, according to Board of Canvassers Registrar Ken McGill, the final count would not be received from the state Board of Elections until late Thursday.
Barros had waged an ambitious campaign, canvassing the neighborhood, which encompasses Woodlawn and parts of Fairlawn, and maintaining that Bray has been “out of touch” with her constituents. Among the several issues that he raised, the Sengal-born Barros, who is a U.S. citizen and a resident of the city for 29 years, added that the City Council needed more diversity to reflect the city’s changing demographics.
Although this is expected to be his first political win, Barros, a Democrat who ran as an independent, has been active in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully four years ago for state representative in District 59, losing out to J. Patrick O’Neill in the race to unseat veteran legislator John Harwood.
Bray, 56, of Cooper Street, said that while she had obviously hoped for a different outcome, “I was happy to be able to serve for as long as I did.” The Pawtucket native and lifelong resident added, “It really was an honor and a privilege to serve on the City Council, and I hope people thought that I looked out and supported their best interests.”
Bray, the current City Council president, had defended her record in the district against Barros’ criticisms, saying that she frequently attended community meetings on various
issues and had worked closely with the Pawtucket Police Department on initiatives to make the streets safer. “I tried to serve the people,” she said.
The unofficial election tally also shows that Mayor James E. Doyle won his re-election bid to an unprecedented sixth term in office by 11,771 votes to the 10,140 votes cast for veteran City Councilor at-large Donald R. Grebien. Doyle, 70, has been in office for 11 years, so the addition of his two-year-term will make him the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history.
The 40-year-old Grebien, a longtime Democrat who ran as an independent, said later that while he, too, had hoped for a different conclusion, he considered that he did well in his first mayoral run, losing to Doyle by just 1,631 votes. He indicated he would be “doing it again in 2010.”
In the District 6 City Council race, incumbent Democrat James Chadwick appears to have won re-election to a second term over attorney George Hovarth by a margin of 1,979 to 1,486 votes. Despite a more low-key campaign approach, the 54-year-old Lucas Street resident and Pawtucket native prevailed over Hovarth, a 46-year-old Varnum Street resident who had mounted a high visibility campaign with signage, flyers and media advertising. Hovarth, a Democrat, also ran as an independent candidate.
In the four-way race for city council-at-large, the three Democratic candidates were victorious over the lone Republican candidate and political newcomer Joel M. Tirrell. The 26-year-old Tirrell garnered 6,214 votes.
Longtime incumbent and former state representative Thomas E. Hodge, 63, of Wilton Avenue, was returned to another two-year term in office with 13,836 votes, while Lorenzo “Larry” C. Tetreault, 61, of Second Street, a retired Pawtucket teacher and chairman of the Democratic City Committee, won his first council seat with 11,748 ballots cast.
Albert J. Vitali Jr., of Pequot Road, a 49-year-old business manager and former Ward 3 city councilor was also returned to politics after a two-year absence. He was the second highest vote-getter with 13,567 votes.
The rest of the incumbent city council candidates, all Democrats and unopposed, were returned to their seats, including David P. Moran in District 1, with 2,997 votes; Paul J. Wildenhain in District 2 with 2,986 votes; Henry S. Kinch Jr. in District 3 with 3,668 votes; and John J. Barry III in District 4 with 3,001 votes.
Also left hanging by the delay in the count of absentee ballots was incumbent School Committee woman Amy Brealt Zolt, who is hoping for re-election on a write-in vote.
According to the unofficial election results, incumbent School Committee candidate Joanne M. Bonollo was the top vote-getter with 13,362 votes, followed by incumbent Nicole Ann Nordquist with 12,934 votes; incumbent David A. Coughlin with 12,485 votes, and incumbent James T. Chellel with 11,896 votes. Newcomer Raymond W. Noonan garnered 11,689 votes while fellow newcomer Joseph C. Knight earned 11,484 votes.
Despite his last-minute withdrawal from the race, School Committee candidate Matthew C. Gunnip earned 10,323 votes. However, these votes will not be certified, paving the way for the top vote-getter among the write-in candidates.
Additionally, the city’s voters passed the two state bond questions and seven local bond referenda.

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