New London — Career city firefighter and part-time attorney Michael Passero easily beat incumbent Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio in a Wednesday primary to decide the Democratic candidate for the Nov. 3 general election.

"Now Democrats in this city will go forward together and win an overwhelming victory in November," Passero said to an exuberant crowd of supporters who packed his Bank Street campaign headquarters Wednesday night.

"I will not assume anything," he said of Republican Bill Vogel, chairman of the city's Republican Town Committee, who will oppose Passero in November. "We will unite the party and get past November. We will reorganize over the weekend and start working."

The three-term city councilor said he always believed he could win and thanked his wife, two adult children, and campaign staff for their support and hard work.

"I never believed this was not going to happen," he said of his victory. "I could not have done this if I didn't believe."

"This is a victory for all Democrats in New London and for all citizens of New London," said William Satti, Democratic Town Committee chairman. "This mayoral race has never been about Mike or Daryl. It's been about the city of New London and its people."

The governor sent a congratulatory note to Passero and Finizio shortly after the results were declared.

"I want to offer my congratulations to Michael Passero on his victory tonight," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. "He is clearly someone who has put New London first throughout his years of service to the community, and I look forward to working together to create jobs and grow the economy.

"I also want to thank Mayor Finizio. He has been a voice for change, willing to make tough decisions over the past four years. I have enjoyed working with him and wish him nothing but the best."

Less than 30 minutes after the polls had closed and as Passero was celebrating his victory with supporters, he took a call from Finizio, who conceded to him.

As Passero moved to a back room to find some quiet for the conversation, he thanked Finizio for calling and said he hoped there would be a smooth transition.

Shortly after, he told revelers at party headquarters that Finizio "was very gracious and pledged to support me in November, and that there will be a very even-keel transition."

Earlier this summer, Finizio petitioned his way to a primary after losing the party's mayoral endorsement to Passero at a town committee caucus.

It is the same route that Finizio followed four years ago when he lost at the town committee level to Michael Buscetto but then handily beat him in a primary.

This time, it was Passero who easily out-polled Finizio, beating him 1,242 to 798, and garnering more votes in all three districts.

In District 1, Passero took 304 votes to Finizio's 276; in District 2, 419 to 307; and District 3, where both Passero and Finizio live and vote, Passero took 434 of the votes compared to Finizio's 188. Passero also won with absentee ballots, 85 to 27.

In 2011, after a charter change, Finizio became the first popularly elected mayor in the city in 90 years. But his four-year tenure has been rocky, and by many accounts, has divided the city.

Passero ran on a platform promising to restore professional management to City Hall and said he will immediately hire a competent, qualified chief administrative officer to direct the municipality's day-to-day operations.

His plan, he said, is to focus on attracting businesses to the downtown and developing the city's Fort Trumbull peninsula.

In addition to deciding on a Democratic mayoral candidate for the general election, Democrats went to the polls Wednesday to narrow to seven the field of eight Democratic hopefuls for the party's November slate.

Those who will be on the slate, and the number of votes they garnered Wednesday are: incumbent Anthony Nolan, 1,277; newcomer Don Venditto, 1,225; incumbent Michael Tranchida, 1,187; newcomer Martha Marx, 1,186; incumbent Efrain Dominguez, 1,160; John Satti, 1,155; and incumbent Erica Richardson, 1,127. With 683 votes, Ryan Henowitz won't be on the party ticket.

Henowitz, who petitioned his way into the City Council race, said he planned to stay active in city politics. He is a current member of the city's Personnel Board.

"I got into this to try and make the city better. That's always going to be my goal. I didn't win this time but maybe next time," Henowitz said.

Passero, who is 59, has lived almost all of his life in New London, after his parents settled here when he was a little boy.

He's said he will retire from the fire department — where he is known as "the roof guy" because he drives the tiller on the ladder truck and cuts holes in roofs when necessary — ending his 31-year career there.

He also expects to wind down his pending legal cases and turn his attention to the city.

A three-term city councilor and a prior council president, he was first elected to the City Council in 2009, and re-elected in 2011 and 2013. He served a single two-year term as council president when Finizio was first elected mayor in 2011.

Passero earned his law degree in 1992 from the University of Connecticut and also has a master's degree in English literature from Connecticut College, where he also earned his undergraduate degree.

Since passing the bar more than 20 years ago, Passero has worked part-time as a labor attorney with the Milford law firm of John M. Creane, where he handles the appellate court work.

a.baldelli@theday.com

Twitter: @AnnBaldelli