Voters changed Warren’s political landscape Tuesday, voting in two new town council members while showing a current councilor the door.

Incumbents Joseph DePasquale and Steve Thompson won re-election in a tight race, while incumbent Brandt Heckert lost his seat by just over 60 votes. Meanwhile, newcomer Keri Cronin won a seat in her second campaign, while former councilors John Hanley and Chris Stanley were voted back on the board after hiatuses.

Wasting no time, Warren Town Council President Joseph DePasquale, who won Libby Lane — the only polling station that had official results reported by 10 p.m. — wasn’t waiting for the full results to come in before he set out about town, removing his campaign signs and talking about what’s to come.

“I’m not waiting” to take them down, he said. “The work starts now. I’m ready and willing to work with whoever the town’s voters see fit to elect to the council.”

At The Preppy Pig where he, Ms. Cronin, Mr. Thompson and supporters gathered to watch results come in, Mr. Heckert said he was surprised to see the results. Even though they only had numbers from Libby Lane, which posted results almost two hours before results from Kickemuit Middle School and St. Mary of the Bay Church, Mr. Heckert said he was concerned.

“I’m very surprised,” he said. “I don’t know what else to say. We worked very hard; we (campaigned) almost the whole town door to door, and I felt like we tried to connect with voters and hear their concerns.”

Mr. Heckert said he was proud of the council on which he served, a the five members “put good personnel in place” with the hiring of Warren Town Manager Jan Reitsma and planner Kate Michaud. 

“I think people feel very positive” about the turns Warren has taken over the past two years ago. As for what the next two years hold, he said he doesn’t know:

“It’s hard to say what others will do once they get in office,” he said. “It will certainly be much different than it has been.”

Mr. Stanley, who lost his seat on the council two years ago, watched the numbers come in  and like Mr. DePasquale, went out to pick up campaign signs.

He said he was “not surprised” to see the early numbers come in the way they did. He said he looks forward to the opportunity to serve Warren.

How they voted:

Joseph A. DePasquale (I): 2,934 ... 17.3%

Christopher W. Stanley (R): 2,510... 14.8%

Keri M. Cronin (D): 2,492 ... 14.7%

John W. Hanley (I): 2,298 ... 13.6%

Steven R. Thompson (D): 2,294 ... 13.5%

P. Brandt Heckert (D): 2,233 ... 13.2%

Paul Edward Brule (D): 2,034 ... 12.0%

WRITE-IN: 143