Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson decisively won the seat Tuesday that she was elevated to in February upon the death of former Mayor D. Michael Collins, besting six other challengers, including two former mayors.

She will now serve the remaining two years of Mr. Collins’ term.

With all precincts reporting, Ms. Hicks-Hudson, 64, received 22,411 votes, or 35.45 percent of the vote. Her nearest rival, former Mayor Mike Bell, had 10,992 votes, or 17.39 percent.

IN PICTURES: Candidates react to election results

Ms. Hicks-Hudson, the endorsed Democrat, was backed by the state Democratic Party and a secretive committee based in Columbus that spent money to advertise on her behalf.

In her victory speech, Ms. Hicks-Hudson called for unity and said she will bring a “sensible and steadfast governing approach” by continuing to listen to the city's citizens.

RELATED: Complete election coverage from The Blade

She thanked her family, supporters in the labor and business community, the faith community, and her campaign volunteers.

She also thanked late Mayor Jack Ford, who she said was the first to make her consider running for mayor.

“Tonight, the citizens of Toledo voted to move toward a promising future to transform our dear Glass City into a safe and livable place,” Ms. Hicks-Hudson said. “Thank you to the citizens of Toledo for your vote of confidence.”

Her initial ascension came under “the most unfortunate circumstances,” she said, but said she worked hard as mayor to move the city forward.

“We face many challenges that are not insurmountable,” she said, listing among them water, safety, and economic development.

“When we work together, when we have a common purpose, which is to make sure that everyone who is willing to work has the ability to work in a safe environment, to have good benefits, to have living wages, to live in a good community, we all win,” she said. “And that’s what we stand for as Democrats.”

Earning her a standing ovation from the crowd at Local 12 United Auto Workers hall near downtown, Ms. Hicks-Hudson acknowledged her position as the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of Toledo.

“I stand on the shoulders of some great men and women,” she said, crediting Mr. Ford and Perry Burroughs. “I can name a number of women who were pioneers in this community that cared about this wonderful city, so therefore together we will make a difference.”

She left the stage to a standing ovation and her supporters chanting her name.

Mr. Bell offered congratulations and complimented Ms. Hicks-Hudson on running “a great race.”

“She has earned that position through trial by fire,” Mr. Bell, the city’s former fire chief, said. He didn’t offer a thorough explanation for why his campaign failed.

“It’s very difficult for an independent — even though it’s been done twice — to bump up against the Democratic machine and win every time,” Mr. Bell said. He and Mr. Collins were political independents.

He said this election would be his last attempt for mayor, but he didn’t rule out running in some other elections. Mr. Bell has speculated in the past about running for Lucas County commissioner in 2016.

Mr. Finkbeiner, who came in third place with 15.77 percent of the vote, shook hands and offered hugs before offering a concession speech at his gathering on the campus of the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio.

“It was never going to be a cake walk, I'll put it that way,” he said.

“When the Ohio Democratic Party and local Democratic party are functioning on all of their pistons, or most of their pistons, that's a challenge.”

Mr. Finkbeiner said Toledo needs to be safer and cleaner, which he said is not the case.

In defeat, he threw his support behind Mayor Hicks-Hudson, whom he said he would want to win the election if he could not.

“God bless Toledo,” Mr. Finkbeiner said to the cheering crowd.

Mrs. Collins, the fourth-place finisher with 14.65 percent of the vote, addressed supporters at Doc Watson’s restaurant and bar just before 11 p.m., conceding the election.

“It didn’t turn out the way we thought it might but turned out the way it is supposed to,” she said, as she was surrounded by more than 20 volunteers.

The “silver lining” of her campaign was learning about the city and the ways people can continue to help Toledo, she said.

After her address, Mrs. Collins told The Blade that her late husband would want residents to rally around its elected officials.

“The things my husband did here were incredible for the city and made people feel incredible about Toledo, and that’s not lost,” she said. “He would want all Toledoans to support each other and make it a better place.”

Councilman Sandy Spang finished with 10.95 percent; former councilman Mike Ferner, with 4.96 percent; and evangelist Opal Covey, with 0.83 percent.

Voters had a multi-candidate field, which is normal in the city’s mayoral primaries but has never been seen before in a general election.

A lawyer and former district councilman, Ms. Hicks-Hudson rose from relative obscurity as council president on Feb. 1 to become acting mayor when Mr. Collins suffered cardiac arrest. She became mayor, pending the election held Tuesday, when Mr. Collins died Feb. 6.

After becoming mayor, Ms. Hicks-Hudson retained Mr. Collins’ chief of staff, Bob Reinbolt, as her chief of staff.

Since announcing in March that she would run to keep her seat, she has campaigned on the message that her ability to steer the ship during the abrupt transition to her mayorship, as well as her handling of issues such as water this summer and the Jeep deal, made her the right candidate to fulfill Mr. Collins’ unexpired term.

In a campaign that relied heavily on door-to-door campaigning and wave-bys on the street, Mr. Finkbeiner promised to focus on cleanliness and economic development.

“I love this city,” a noticeably gravely-voiced Mr. Finkbeiner told the camera in his TV commercial that ran during weekend football games and news shows. “But I don’t like the shape it’s in today. I’ll work harder than anyone to bring this city back to the top.”

Mr. Bell watched the first half of the University of Toledo football game against Northern Illinois University at the Glass Bowl and then joined supporters at the M’ Osteria and Bar downtown, where they watched the results on the bar TV.

Meeting inside the Blarney Event Space with volunteers was Ms. Spang, 55, of South Toledo. She emphasized budget reform.

Mr. Ferner, 64, of Point Place, a Toledo councilman in 1990 through 1993, promised to bring polluters of Lake Erie out in the open, and to “fix the damn streets,” as his signs said.

“It was a pleasure to be among a pretty civil bunch,” Mr. Ferner said.

Covey, 75, of Broadway, South Toledo, an unendorsed Republican, ran for the fifth time, unsuccessfully.

It was her first time in a general election, having always lost previously in the primary elections.

Mr. Collins’ death, at age 70, brought on by high blood pressure, according to an autopsy, was the first for a sitting mayor in Toledo since Samuel “Golden Rule” Jones in 1904.

The rare occurrence revealed a quirk of the 1992 city charter — in the event of the death or resignation of an at-large councilman or mayor, the replacement is chosen at the next general election, with no primary to narrow the race down to two competitors.

Having multiple candidates apparently discouraged direct attacks, out of concern that a negative campaign could backfire on the candidate doing it.

Mr. Bell and Mr. Finkbeiner sparred over how much of a deficit Mr. Finkbeiner left at the end of his third term.

On Election Day, Mayor Hicks-Hudson waved to voters at a polling location in the parking lot with former Ohio secretary of state candidate Nina Turner.

Ms. Turner said a “great effort” was put into getting the endorsed Democrat elected over the six other candidates.

Kaitlyn Bailey, 24, of West Toledo, said she had an easy time voting. She cast her vote for the incumbent mayor.

“I’ve seen her endorsed by people I really respect,” Ms. Bailey said.

Candidates appeared in 22 stand-up forums, of which three were televised. In an election first, The Blade conducted two online conversations with candidates and streamed them live.

Staff Writers Ignazio Messina, Lauren Lindstrom, and Natalie Trusso contributed to this report.

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published November 4, 2015, 7:11 a.m.