PITOCHELLI

JOHNSTON — Councilman Ernest F. Pitochelli, a three-term incumbent and a relentless critic of outgoing Mayor William R. Macera, won reelection yesterday, fighting off an aggressive challenge from Democrat Scott J. Scungio, a 38-year-old sheriff’s deputy assigned to District Court, Providence.

The independent incumbent amassed 1,283 votes while the challenger collected 1,095, according to a vote tally compiled by the state Board of Elections. The 188-vote margin was greater than the 162 absentee ballots cast in the election.

Meanwhile, it appeared that Democrat Giovanni D. Conti had prevailed in the District 5 School Committee race, trouncing independent Jay R. Peters. The vote was 2,034 to 670, according to the Board of Elections.

Scungio is the only council candidate to lose this political season after winning the endorsement of the town’s Democratic Town Committee.

“I want to thank the people for having faith in electing me,” said Pitochelli. “I’m just going to continue to work to help this town and the new mayor to overcome those problems that have been created by this current administration.”

Like the race that preceded it, Scungio’s defeat was bitter:

“Mr. Pitochelli won based on lies,” he said.

At 77, the councilman remains one of the most colorful personas in town.

He is the politician who seeks public records, who discloses the happenings of meetings that take place behind closed doors, who tries to expose wasteful spending.

Pitochelli’s critics, including Scungio, have also suggested that the councilman’s blunt style closes plenty of doors, too, and sows discord between the various entities of local government.

“I am looking forward to working with a new mayor, one who I consider to be a friend of mine as well as I believe him to be a friend of all of you,” Pitochelli wrote in a campaign handout, referring to the incoming mayor, Sen. Joseph M. Polisena.

Scungio, mounted an aggressive campaign, blaming Pitochelli for the town’s financial troubles.