Coppola wins Mayor race. Clauson and Lucarelli are neck and neck.

Lary Coppola, publisher of the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, increased his success from the primary Tuesday evening, bringing home 68.5 percent of the vote and securing the position as Mayor of Port Orchard.

“I’m very grateful and I’m very humbled,” Coppola said at an election party at Amy’s on the Bay Tuesday evening. “I just want people to know I will be the hardest working mayor we’ve ever had.”

Coppola’s opponent, Tom Saunders of Saunders Appraisal, was pleased with his turnout despite the loss and said he would consider running for other positions and continuing his involvement with city affairs.

“I think I gave Lary a run for his position,” Saunders said.

On the council races, most notable is the extremely close race between council incumbent John Clauson and newcomer Cindi Lucarelli. As of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lucarelli trailed Clauson by nine votes.

Lucarelli said she was happy with those results, because she was unsure where she stood up until that point.

“This is actually good news for me. I’m very happy,” she said. “This gives me a better idea. That’s great for me to have it this close.”

Clauson had little to say on the tight margin, explaining that it’s too soon to know anything.

Without knowing the outcome of that race, voters outed two other incumbents, Rick Wyatt and Rita DiIenno.

Following the news that Wyatt’s opponent, Fred Olin, had secured 56.9 percent of the vote, Linda Wyatt said “It’s okay because he owes me a vacation.”

“This is a win-win for us,” she added. “He’s just been on there so long, it’s time for our vacation.”

Councilman Bob Geiger, who did not seek another term, arrived at the election party for Wyatt, Lucarelli and Jerry Childs and offered the advice “stick to your guns” and “watch the dollars,” but said he knew both candidates and did not want to express any preference.

He did add for Jerry Childs, who took 64.1 percent support for the At-Large position on the City Council, “I think he’ll do a real good job.”

Councilwoman Rita DiIenno took her loss gracefully, explaining that she has been thrilled to give four years to the city, and encourages anyone to try it. She also stuck by her support of the Downtown Overlay District, explaining that she did what she thought was best for Port Orchard.

She also had kind words for her opponent, James Colebank.

“I couldn’t have had a nicer person run for the position,” Rita said.

Results as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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