Longtime Bristol Town Clerk Lou Cirillo has held off challenger Melissa Cordeiro and will retain his post for another two years. The Republican who has been in office for 14 years has unofficially defeated the Democratic challenger who has been a senior clerk in his office for the past 10 years.

According to the R.I. Secretary of State’s office, as of 10 p.m., Mr. Cirillo captured 52 percent of the votes, and Ms. Cordeiro won 48 percent.

The two ran a tense campaign, with the challenger promising to modernize and update services in Town Hall, and the incumbent promoting his knowledge and experience as superior for the role.

Ms. Cordeiro knocked on more than 4,000 doors throughout Bristol during the campaign, and her visits were often treated like celebrity sightings, with senior citizens, children and everyone in between posing for photos and videos.

Two nights ago, a Patrick Kennedy “robocall” went to several thousand Bristol homes, with the former Congressman touting Ms. Cordeiro’s ability to bring a “fresh perspective and new ideas” to the clerk’s office.

In the end, it was not enough, as the experienced Mr. Cirillo kept his job.

After the outcome became clear, though still unofficial, Ms. Cordeiro said she was proud of the campaign she ran, proud of her supporters, proud of her family, and energized by the many people she met along the way — energized enough to promise she will be running for office again in the future.

“This is not the the last people are going to see of me, I can promise that,” she said.

Ms. Cordeiro would not specify which office she would be seeking, but she also said she plans to be at work Wednesday morning, and she has no plans to leave the clerk’s office. “I love my job. I love what I do. I’ll just continue doing it,” she said.

“I I have learned a lot during this campaign,” she said. “In the end, I did not lose. This was not a loss for me.”