Ann Arbor voters came out in strong support of the incumbents on Election Day, reelecting Sabra Briere to a second term in the 1st Ward and Marcia Higgins to a sixth term in the 4th Ward.

Both Democrats ousted their independent challengers to stay on the Ann Arbor City Council two more years.

Briere defeated Mitchell Ozog by 1,616 to 438, according to unofficial results with all precincts counted. Higgins beat Hatim Elhady 2,183 to 1,299, according to unofficial results with all precincts counted.

Briere cruised to victory over an opponent who ran a quiet campaign, but Higgins had to overcome a vocal challenger in Elhady, a 23-year-old University of Michigan student with strong support from a team of entrenched political activists.

Sabra Briere

Recognizing they were involved in a particularly heated race, Higgins' supporters went to bat for the incumbent earlier this week to turn out the vote. They circulated e-mails to get supporters to make more phone calls to voters and offered up extra yard signs in support of Higgins.

"Marcia had a team of absolutely dedicated volunteers who supported her ... and worked the streets, worked the phones. It was just amazing," said County Commissioner Leah Gunn, campaign treasurer and spokeswoman for Higgins.

"We're ecstatic and delighted in the 4th Ward that we have reelected Marcia," Gunn said. "We need her on council. We need her experience. It means there will be someone there who knows what she's doing. She knows the budget."

Hatim Elhady gets more bad news on the phone while tallying votes in the 4th ward Ann Arbor City Council race against Marcia Higgins. Elhady was at Casa Dominick's in Ann Arbor with his supporters Tuesday night.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

"It was a wonderful experience," Elhady said. "I gave it my best and so did my supporters. I have the peace of mind that I ran a campaign with integrity and dignity. I'd rather lose with my dignity than win without my dignity."

Briere celebrated her victory at a low-key gala at her home on Broadway, joined by Mayor John Hieftje, Council Member Christopher Taylor and Council Member-elect Stephen Kunselman, among others. Briere said prior to the election she wanted to stay in office, in part, to weigh in on city zoning ordinance revisions and to address the budget challenges ahead.

"I hope this really means that I was doing my job for the last two years," said Briere, who also works for the Corner Health Center, a nonprofit agency in Ypsilanti. "It's like you've gone to your boss, and your boss has done your annual review. I've definitely gotten a positive job review and that's good."

Ozog said he was disappointed in the turnout and doesn't think so few people deciding the race is very democratic. He said he's going to consider running again next year.

Briere considers herself a neighborhood activist who became politically active in Ann Arbor in the 1970s. She plans to continue to work with residents on their concerns and says she'll continue to oppose a city income tax and the removal of Argo Dam. She also is keenly interested in development issues and the future of near-downtown neighborhoods.

Marcia Higgins

Higgins, a 38-year resident of Ann Arbor with a long record of community service, is an administrative assistant at the University of Michigan. She plans to continue supporting a fiscally responsible city budget and to keep listening to constituents.

She plans to continue to fight the expansion of the city airport, oppose the removal of Argo Dam, work to preserve neighborhoods and work on zoning issues. She also is in favor of putting a city income tax proposal on an upcoming election ballot, something her challenger opposed.

Voters at the polls on Tuesday were split in their decision between Higgins and Elhady, but most preferred Higgins' experience to a fresh face. Some said her continued leadership was needed to steer the city beyond the fiscal challenges that lie ahead and they felt Elhady lacked a solid plan.

Also reelected to their second and third terms on Tuesday, respectively, were Mike Anglin, D-5th Ward, and Stephen Rapundalo, D-2nd Ward. Neither faced opposition; Anglin previously fended off challenger Scott Rosencrans in the August primary.

Democrat Stephen Kunselman, a former council member, also was elected to a seat in the 3rd Ward on Tuesday, replacing Leigh Greden. Kunselman beat Greden by six votes in the August primary and appeared unopposed on the general election ballot.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.