Town Clerk Mary Ann Silva was the only incumbent to emerge victorious from a contested race on Tuesday, defeating challenger Melodye Conway by 1,106 votes.

Silva has held the position of Town Clerk for about 12 years. "I'm honored and humbled by how many people have faith in the job I've been doing," she said, noting that she was very impressed with the 26 percent voter turnout.

Silva's campaign focused on the efforts of the office to provide smooth, efficient services on a limited budget. She said she is is working on getting a climate-controlled safe to house historical records and is looking forward to working with the Community Preservation Committee to find funds to preserve those records.

Before becoming Town Clerk, Silva was secretary to the Zoning Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector in Wareham. She also held clerical positions with the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare, the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, Roland Thatcher Nursing Home, and Sassaquin Nursing Home.

Silva has been a notary public for 21 years. She is a Commissioner to Qualify Public Officers, appointed by the governor, which means she can administer oaths of office. Silva became a Justice of the Peace shortly after she was elected Town Clerk for her first term. She is a member of several Town Clerk associations.

Conway said that, while she was disappointed in the result of the election, she is happy for the people who won and wanted to celebrate that. Her campaign focused on streamlining document control in the clerk's office by upgrading technology and making more documents, including historical records which can only be viewed by appointment, available for download on the town website.