Takoma Park Mayor Kathy Porter won a fifth term with almost 59 percent of the vote Tuesday night, defeating political newcomer Seth Grimes, who she said waged a ‘‘strong campaign.”

In the city’s only other officially contested race, Colleen Clay captured almost 53 percent of the votes in Ward 2, defeating challenger Eileen Sobeck. And In Ward 3, where former candidate Dan Robinson waged a last-minute write-in campaign, six-term incumbent Bruce Williams received 80 percent of the votes.

In the non-contested races, Ward 1 Councilwoman Joy Austin-Lane won a third term, Ward 4 Councilman Terry Seamens won a second consecutive term and his third overall, Councilman Marc Elrich won a 10th term representing Ward 5, and Councilman Doug Barry won a second term in Ward 6.

An advisory referendum on the ballot regarding instant-runoff voting was overwhelmingly approved, with almost 84 percent of voters supporting the measure. The City Council will make a final decision on instant-runoff voting sometime during its next term.

Rudy Arredondo, whose name was put forward for mayor at the city’s nominating caucus last month, received 16 votes even though he dropped out of the race after the deadline for setting the ballot.

The chief election judge announced the election results shortly before midnight today on the city’s cable television channel. All vote tallies are considered unofficial until the current City Council meets in special session later today to certify the election results.

Porter, who has served seven terms on the City Council, including three terms representing Ward 2, won all but one of the city’s wards, including a narrow victory in Grimes’ Ward 1, where Porter garnered more than half the votes.

Nevertheless, Grimes made a strong showing in Porter’s home ward, taking more than a third of the votes there. Overall, Porter received 1,479 votes to Grimes’ 1,022.

‘‘I think that Seth ran a very well-organized campaign, and I think he did a very good job at reaching out to people,” Porter said Tuesday night. ‘‘I’m very pleased and very grateful to all of the people who helped me, and I really look forward to making some major strides on the issues that people brought forward in this election.”

Grimes said he did not have a reaction to his loss late Tuesday.

In Ward 2, Councilwoman-elect Clay said the narrow margin of victory was proof that voters had two well-qualified candidates to choose from. Clay received 352 votes to Sobeck’s 316.

‘‘Between Eileen and I, we had a really good relationship,” Clay said Tuesday night. ‘‘... There are a lot more things that unite us than divide us, and I think that’s the case for Ward 2, and I think that’s the case for the entire city.”

After judges completed counting the Ward 2 ballots, Sobeck said the race for that seat was ‘‘hard fought, and Colleen has my congratulations. ... I’m going to support her, and we want to bring the ward together.”

‘‘I do think I speak for a group of people in the ward,” Sobeck added. ‘‘I have every confidence that she’ll take an interest and I look forward to working with her.”

With the election behind the candidates, Porter said she looks forward to bringing the city back together and moving forward.

‘‘I think the important thing to remember is that we’re all neighbors,” she said. ‘‘We have different opinions and supported different candidates, but in the end, we are all neighbors.”

The City Council inauguration will take place Nov. 21 at the Takoma Park Community Center.