TAUNTON, Mass. (WPRI) — Shaunna O’Connell has won the race for Taunton mayor, according to preliminary results.

O’Connell defeated her former chief of staff, Ed Correira.

The victory comes after a race that pitted the incumbent mayor against her former chief of staff.

O’Connell, a former state legislator who was first elected mayor in 2019, campaigned on a promise to keep Taunton “affordable, safe and growing.”

She touted her record saying she helped streamline the budget, improve the city’s bond rating and boosted grant funding.

Correira, who formerly served as O’Connell’s chief of staff, parted ways with the mayor citing “a different course of action with the administration,” according to his website. A longtime businessman, Correira campaigned on a pledge to lower property and business taxes, build more affordable housing and create more local jobs.