Jubilant Jay Bluck clinched a knife-edge election victory last night to become the new Mayor of Hamilton.

Mr. Bluck dramatically defeated Sonia Grant by just 21 votes, as former Mayor Lawson Mapp's six-year reign ended with a whimper rather than a roar.

Mr. Mapp ? who has led the City since 2000 ? failed to secure a controversial third term in office. He received just 22 votes as the electorate decided it was time for a change at the top.

After slumping to third place in the three-way fight, he told : "I took quite a thrashing."

Amid tense scenes at City Hall last night, it was confirmed that Mr. Bluck polled 115 votes, narrowly seeing off the challenge of Miss Grant on 94 votes.

Speaking in the wake of his nail-biting victory, the new Mayor admitted he was "thrilled" with the result. He added: "I think people felt it was time for a change. It was a very close-run thing between Miss Grant and myself. We were neck and neck up until the very end."

He said Miss Grant, who like Mr. Bluck was an Alderman in the previous Mapp regime, had offered to help him in his new role.

The new Mayor ? who expressed his horror at the recent Court Street shootings ? last night re-affirmed his pledge to thrust law and order to the top of his agenda, with Police patrols in Hamilton and the "unacceptable" Harbour Nights security saga among the first issues he intends to confront.

Yesterday's turnout saw just over 60 percent of registered eligible voters in Hamilton head to the ballot box.

And, with hundreds of unregistered voters estimated to be in the City, Mr. Bluck, 65, said this was another problem he intended to tackle.

He also pledged to introduce constituency clinics and regular consultation sessions, particularly on the massive $630 million waterfront development.

Meanwhile, the Somerset resident stated that he would be "re-establishing contact" with developers interested in building a new hotel on Par-la-Ville Road.

Retired merchant Mr. Bluck, who takes control of a $20 million budget, praised his successor Mr. Mapp and said he was sorry that he attracted such a small number of votes.

"He has put in a huge amount of service for Hamilton and has given great service to the city."

Defeated Mr. Mapp, 68, denied an election hat-trick, said he accepted that the constituents had spoken. "They felt that Mr. Bluck was the person to take the Corporation to 2009.

"I wish him every success in doing that.

"My life has been based around three things: my business, the Corporation and my church. Now I can basically retire."

The former Mayor's decision to stand for a third term, which rivals said broke an earlier gentlemen's agreement dating back to his first election win, attracted criticism in the run-up to this year's poll.

But last night Mr. Mapp, who had served at City Hall since 1979, insisted that did not cost him a third poll triumph.

He said his biggest achievement in office was the beautification of Hamilton's parks; while his biggest regret was not getting a developer to sign up for the Par-la-Ville hotel project.

Attorney Miss Grant said that despite having her hopes of becoming Hamilton's first female Mayor dashed, she would be on hand to help the new leader.

"I'm only two-and-a-half blocks down the road. I'm here for the Corporation."

However, the former Deputy Mayor called on the new leadership to urgently undertake a mass registration of voters ? and revealed that up to 50 potentially eligible voters were turned away from the polling station during the course of yesterday because they were not registered.

"They just assumed they could vote," added the former chairman of the Corporation's finance committee. "But they were not on the list."