METHUEN — Mayor William Manzi had one word to describe the 483-vote margin by which he defeated challenger Al DiNuccio in yesterday's election — "sufficient."

DiNuccio, 50, put up the strongest fight out of the three candidates who have run for mayor against Manzi since he was first elected in 2005.

In an election that drew only 30 percent of the city's 28,617 registered voters, Manzi, 53, received 4,437 votes, or 53 percent, to DiNuccio's 3,954 votes, or 47 percent.

Voters also unseated two of Manzi's allies on the City Council, Chairwoman Deborah Quinn and East District Councilor Joseph Leone.

"We gave him a heck of a run," DiNuccio said about Manzi.

DiNuccio, who threw a party at his Pelham Street house with his family and supporters, said he called Manzi to congratulate him.

"I told him I'd say a prayer for him," DiNuccio said. "It's a long two years ahead of you," he told the mayor.

Manzi acknowledged the city has been through "tumultuous political times" on his watch. He learned of the election results while gathered in his City Hall office with his wife, Beth, two children and in-laws.

He said it has been a tough year for incumbents nationwide thanks to the recession and being forced to make "no-win" choices about budget cuts.

"Especially in this day and age, I'm delighted with the margin," Manzi said.

Manzi repeatedly said there are difficult financial times ahead for the city, and he said he's eager to continue working.

"It's time to close ranks and govern," he said. "Give me a chance to go in and be a mayor for everybody in Methuen."

On the campaign trail, Manzi touted his work to close a budget deficit by convincing municipal labor unions to take 10 percent pay cuts this year. Once he finishes his next two-year term, which begins in January, Manzi cannot run for mayor again because of term limits.

DiNuccio, a part-time police officer who co-owns East Coast Cabinet in Lawrence, came into the race as somebody who has not been part of local politics in recent years. He cast himself as an outsider and said he would run the city more like a business. He took issue with some of the ways the city spends money, such as hiring consultants and allowing 26 employees to take city-owned vehicles home.

"A lot of people have asked me to stay involved and I think I need to stay involved," he said. "In two years, who knows?"

DiNuccio said he and his supporters campaigned hard, attending coffee hours and other events and distributing literature.

"We feel we did everything we possibly could do," he said.

Manzi won nine of the city's 12 precincts, while DiNuccio took the remainder. Each was victorious in his home precinct.

DiNuccio said he was disappointed by the loss.

"I was more disappointed for my campaign staff and for the citizens of Methuen. I wish they had the opportunity to see what I could have done," he said.

The best experience of the campaign was meeting new people, DiNuccio said.

"The citizens from Methuen are great people. They make Methuen. Can't thank them enough," he said.

Manzi's popularity has dropped since he was first elected in 2005, when he took 70 percent of the vote against political activist Ellen Bahan. Two years later, in 2007, he took 66 percent of the vote in his first bid for re-election against then-City Councilor Kathleen Corey Rahme. Rahme lost a new bid for the City Council yesterday.

The next step for the Manzi administration is to self-evaluate, Manzi said.

"I think we need to take a good hard look at ourselves after two terms and determine how we move forward in a third term," he said.

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