The third time was a charm for Carmella Mantello.  

The Troy Republican was projected to win the race for mayor on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Nina Nichols with 55% of the vote with all districts reporting in her third run at leading the city. 

Mantello, the city council president, will succeed Democrat Patrick Madden as the first female mayor of The Collar City and first Republican elected in Troy since 2007. 

Mantello, who was the GOP nominee for mayor in 1999 and 2011, said this year that voters know they can trust her. Her campaign focused on issues like illegal dumping, lowering tax crimes and ensuring tax increases result in better services. She also pointed to hot spoys in crime, and backed getting police officers out of into neighborhood streets.

"This victory, as I have said so many times, is as much yours as it is mine," Mantello told a cheering crowd. "The odds were stacked against us. You helped make this a reality, and we did it."

There are 10,665 registered Democrats, 3,540 Republicans, 7,243 unaffiliated and 3,158 others according to the Board of Elections.

Nichols, a Rensselaer County legislator and member of the Troy City Council, had campaigned on building upon the work completed by Mayor Patrick Madden, also a Democrat, investing more money into city neighborhoods and making Troy a more environmentally friendly city.

On Tuesday night, Nichols, an advocate for women’s reproductive health care, thanked her supporters and campaign volunteers.

"We ran a positive camp on the issues," Nichols said. "We presented a plan for safer, cleaner, greener Troy for everyone."

Nichols said it was an exciting day, "and well past time for Troy to have a woman mayor."