Norwich - Democrats gained a seat on the City Council Tuesday, taking five of the top six vote totals and leaving Republican Mayor Peter Nystrom with only one other party member on the council.

Democrats will have a 5-2 majority, with Nystrom counting as a voting member. The mayor is in the middle of a four-year term and was not on the ballot.

Incumbent Democrat Deberey Hinchey was top vote-getter with 1,946 votes, and Democratic Board of Education Chairman Charles Jaskiewicz finished second with 1,799 votes. Jaskiewicz often was top vote-getter on the Board of Education.

"I feel very good," Jaskiewicz said. "It's the same type of contest. The only thing disappointing was the turnout."

With no top seat in the race, and a mostly cordial fall campaign, voter turnout was among the lowest in the region at 13.5 percent. Poll workers passed the time reading books and contemplating the goings-on in hotly contested towns surrounding Norwich - including the New London and Montville mayoral races.

Hinchey said the voters appreciated her hard work both during her first term on the council and during the fall campaign. Hinchey also topped all candidates in fundraising this fall with more than $4,200 in her coffers.

"I worked so hard, and it feels really, really good," Hinchey said.

Former Alderman Mark Bettencourt returned to the council after a two-year hiatus. Bettencourt gave up his council seat in 2009 in an unsuccessful bid for mayor. Bettencourt was pleased and "honored" with his third-place finish, considering he only decided to run on the eve of the July caucus.

The only Republican to win a seat on the council was former Alderwoman Sofee Noblick, who finished fifth with 1,584 votes.

"I'm excited," Noblick said from an otherwise somber Republican post-election headquarters at Chasers Bar & Grill. "I think everybody ran a nice, clean race."

First-term incumbent Republican Laurie Glenney-Popovich was the only council member unseated, with 955 votes, finishing 10th. Glenney-Popovich said she would consider seeking positions on appointed boards or commissions in the city.

Norwich for Change candidate Ron Ward also fell short of becoming the first third-party aldermen in memory with 978 votes, but Ward said he will remain active both in Greeneville and in citywide issues. Ward still hopes to win state approval for a charter school in Greeneville.

"I'll be looking forward to working with the City Council for our neighborhoods, as we have been doing," Ward said.

There was no contest in the Norwich Board of Education election, with six Democrats and three Republicans elected Tuesday to the nine-member board.

Incumbent Democrats John LeVangie, the longest-serving member entering his ninth term, Yvette Jacaruso, Jesshua Ballaro-Pina, Joyce Werden and Cora Lee Boulware were re-elected along with incumbent Republican Aaron "Al" Daniels.

They will be jointed by newcomer Democrats Keleigh Arian and Republicans Dennis Slopak and Lynn Norris.

In the only other election on the Norwich ballot, incumbent Democratic city Treasurer Brian Curtin ran unopposed for re-election.

c.bessette@theday.com