Three incumbent Santa Fe city councilors will keep their positions for another four years, joined by one new face: Rosemary Romero.

The professional facilitator won the southeast-side District 2 council seat in the low-key municipal election that culminated Tuesday night.

She handily defeated real-estate agent Robbie Dobyns for the seat on the eight-member governing body that is being vacated by two-term Councilor Karen Heldmeyer.

Unofficial results indicated Councilor Miguel Chavez defeated challenger Martin Lujan in what proved to be the closest council race of the night. He won slightly more than 54 percent of the vote in the southwest-side District 3.

Councilor Patti Bushee maintained her position as the longest-serving councilor, securing a fifth consecutive term representing the north-side District 1. She easily turned back a challenge by retired engineer Anthony Garcia.

Lawyer Matt Ortiz ran unopposed for another term in the south-side District 4.

Romero, 54, learned early in the night from poll watchers that her victory was sweeping, with 74 percent of the vote.

Romero appeared briefly at City Hall for a radio interview after the polls closed at 7 p.m., then darted off to a party at Piccolo Cafe.

"We've already got our numbers and it's big," Romero whispered as City Clerk Yolanda Vigil read precinct reports that were trickling in at the Council Chambers. "It's a landslide."

The candidate had a whirlwind day. Spotted waving to traffic heading into the Unitarian Church parking lot, she said she started early Tuesday at Kaune Elementary School, which is her polling place, then did an interview with radio station KSWV before heading off to more polling places in her district.

"I'm trying to hit all of them," she said. "It's been fun for me to do this."

Romero, whose last name is the Spanish word for her first name, said she already has a busy day planned for today, including a business meeting in Albuquerque.

"I'm going to go to Tecolote (restaurant) in the morning and enjoy the moment before heading to Albuquerque," she said. "My life is just a little crazy this week with my real work. ... I am looking forward to even better work for the city of Santa Fe."

Dobyns, who finished with 27 percent of District 2 votes, conceded his loss shortly after the polls closed, noting he has no intention of seeking office again.

"It looks like I'm getting whipped," he said after spending a few minutes in the Council Chambers viewing voting tallies on video monitors.

"Maybe I am an idealist," Dobyns said. "I think in big terms, but I'm also a pragmatist. I can reduce big ideas to solutions. I don't think it resonated with some people."

In the District 3 contest, Chavez was slower to acknowledge his win over Lujan, a two-term school board member.

Chavez, 53, a woodworker who has served on the council since 2000, said he was relieved when results showed the race was not as close as some had predicted.

Noting he was elected with 60 percent of the vote in his district four years ago, Chavez said, "I was hoping for more because you always want more."

Lujan didn't make an election-night appearance at City Hall and did not return a call from The New Mexican at 9 p.m.

His brother John Lujan, an employee at the city-owned golf course, said earlier in the day that if Martin Lujan lost, it would likely because of low voter turnout.

In District 1, Bushee spent the day waving signs outside local polling places, evidenced by a freshly sunburned face on Tuesday night.

The 48-year-old state employee has said this will be her last term on the council. She will have served 18 consecutive years when she completes this term in 2012. But between then and now, a mayoral election looms, and Bushee has been rumored one of the contenders. She has denied that intention.

"I don't think that far ahead," she said. "Honestly, we have a lot of work ahead of us, and that's not on my radar screen. ... I'm sure there will be lots of folks interested in the mayoral race."

Bushee, who skated to victory with 73 percent of votes cast in her district, said she was looking forward to creating new alliances with the slightly altered council makeup.

Her challenger, Garcia, 61, earned more votes Tuesday than he did in a 1996 run for the position, tallying 798 votes Tuesday, or about 28 percent, according to unofficial results. He had fewer than 500 in his first attempt. Garcia did not return a phone message left late Tuesday.

Ann Yalman, who was appointed municipal judge two years ago, faced no opposition to her election in the only citywide office on Tuesday's ballot.

The city clerk today will begin a canvass of the election results that is expected to wrap up by Friday.

A swearing-in ceremony for the election winners is planned for 6 p.m. Monday night at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.

Reporter Tom Sharpe contributed to this story.

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.