Shannon McDonnell and James Steele were reelected to three-year terms on the Winthrop Town Council, according to unofficial results.

McDonnell, the council chir, received the most votes at 1,371, while Steele finished second with 1,271 votes. Bruce Burns, who served on the council for two terms until he was defeated last year, came in third with 887, falling short of the next highest vote-getter by 384 votes.

The race was closely contested, with all three candidates who had recent council experience running for two at-large spots on the seven-member body. McDonnell and Steele will each serve their second full term on the council.

McDonnell, who also serves as Wayne’s town manager, said during the campaign that she hoped to address housing affordability in Winthrop by promoting planned development districts and encouraging new senior housing.

“At the end of my next term, I hope to have inspired community members to be more involved in local government, especially the younger generations,” McDonnell, 39, said last month. We are focusing on growth and development to support not only our aging community but paving the way for our youth as future residents.”

Steele, 53, and Burns, 74, each highlighted property tax rates as a primary concern, especially given the town’s upcoming revaluation in 2027.

Keeping tax rates low, Steele said, would allow older Winthrop residents to stay in their homes.

“My mom, for example — she’s retired, she’s living in her home, and she’s all by herself now. But we wouldn’t want to try to tax her out of her home where she wants to live the rest of her days,” Steele said last month. “There’s a lot of people like that. I’d like to make sure that they can live out in the same community that they raised their families in.”

Burns said he was encouraged to run by other residents after the Town Council allowed the Winthrop-area school district to increase spending by about 10%. Unlike many other communities, the Winthrop Town Council must approve the school district’s budget before a spending plan is voted on by residents.

He said he wanted to use the town’s $1 million surplus from this past year’s budget to fund a property tax relief program for residents.