Some State College Borough Council members said that despite an enthusiastic campaign, Josh Troxell couldn't match the name recognition and experience of re-elected Mayor Bill Welch. The new council is expected to transition smoothly and continue to work well with Welch, some members said.

Welch said he did considerably less campaigning than Troxell, but because he's been doing his job for 12 years, people were comfortable in casting a vote for him.

"I enjoy name recognition, and people know who I am and what I do or don't do," Welch said. "I apparently haven't done anything to [upset] large numbers of people who would be motivated to throw me out."

Re-elected council member Elizabeth Goreham said she was very impressed by Troxell's determination and organization. Goreham supported Welch for re-election but said someday a new mayor will need to be elected and "we might want to elect him [Troxell]," she said.

Troxell refused comment to The Daily Collegian.

Goreham added that she was delighted to see that Welch was re-elected.

"He is an icon of our town, and I think he has the job as long as he wants it," Goreham said.

It is difficult going against an entrenched incumbent who has 60 years in this community and 16 years in borough government, Welch said.

Ron Filippelli, who won a council seat Tuesday, said he didn't think there was much chance Welch would lose.

Re-elected council member Don Hahn said he is looking forward to working with Welch again.

"He has a singular wit that I missed during my six-year absence," Hahn said.

Hahn said he expected voters to endorse experience and longevity, "and they did," he said.

Goreham said that as mayor, Welch is out and about and very visible in many venues.

"He is very much in the public eye and he has been involved in council for over a decade, and I don't think Troxell can begin to compete with that kind of name recognition," Goreham said.

Council President Tom Daubert said he was not surprised at all by the outcome of the race.

"Josh just didn't know enough people, didn't have enough name recognition," Daubert said. "I had no doubts Bill would win, and win by a large amount."

Election results will become official when the election board has counted them, said Jodi Neidig, department clerk for the county elections office.

Neidig said the official count will start tomorrow when each write-in ballot will need to be individually looked at. She said the results could take at least a week to become official.

Unofficial results from the Centre County Office of Elections and Voter Registration have 100 percent of the precincts reporting that Welch received 2,503 votes of 3,320 cast for mayor.

Collegian writer Leann Frola contributed to this article