AGAWAM — Mayor William Sapelli cruised to victory last week, taking nearly 79 percent of the vote to secure a third two-year term as Agawam’s chief executive.

Sapelli defeated challenger Charles Alvanos, 4,359 votes to 1,002, winning all of Agawam’s eight precincts by comfortable margins.

Even before the results came in, Sapelli expressed his confidence to guests at a Nov. 2 victory rally at the Italian Sporting Club.

“We have a good team,” he said. “We got the word out and it’s been pretty solid.”

Over the past four years, Sapelli said he and his team have accomplished a lot.

“We have a great City Council. They work hand in hand with the mayor’s office,” he said. He also credited the work of the School Committee, on which the mayor sits as chair. Often, he said, “the mayor gets all the credit, but it’s not just me. I don’t do it alone.”

He said the COVID-19 pandemic made this a campaign unlike any other. He wasn’t able to hold as many public events, and had to depend more on signs.

“We had to be careful,” he said, but “I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

Shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m., Sapelli campaign workers began posting numbers reported from each precinct on posterboards at the victory rally. Sapelli stood back as results from Agawam High School, Robinson Park School and James Clark School polling places showed about a four-to-one ratio of Sapelli to Alvanos votes.

Once all eight precincts were in, applause and cheers echoed throughout the Sporting Club.

“I am so humbled to be re-elected for another two-year term,” said Sapelli. “It’s nice to see people coming out, and it looks like people are happy with the results. It’s really rewarding.”

Sapelli thanked the people of Agawam for their continued support. Additionally, he recognized his son and daughter, along with long-term friend Deborah Zwicker. He shared that Zwicker pushes him every day to get out there and continue doing “all great things, for the right reason.”

Lou Conte, Sapelli’s campaign manager, said that he’s worked alongside the mayor since he first decided to run back in 2017.

“We’ve been friends forever,” added Conte. He served as athletic director at Agawam High School during Sapelli’s tenure as school superintendent, and said he always told Sapelli, “if you ever run for mayor, I’ll be your campaign manager. So, I stayed true to that promise.”

Conte continued, “Bill is a very level politician. It shows. He wants to complete projects that he’s already been working on. I admire him for what he’s doing.”

Sapelli, who campaigned on his record of infrastructure work, reducing blight, increased recreation facilities and management of the COVID-19 pandemic, said that he is excited to continue the work he is already doing.

According to Town Clerk Vincent Gioscia, this year’s election had a 24 percent turnout. Of the 22,634 registered voters in Agawam, only 5,532 people cast their votes.

Preliminary results from the clerk’s office on election night showed a consistent four-to-one margin in all eight Agawam precincts. Alvanos took less than 20 percent of the vote in all areas but Precinct 7, western and southwestern Feeding Hills, where he saw 22.75 percent support, and Precinct 8, southeastern Agawam, where he polled at 20.11 percent.

Sapelli’s percentage of the vote was in the mid-70s in those two precincts and the high 70s in three others. In his best three precincts, he took more than four-fifths of the vote: 81.88 percent in Precinct 2, northern Feeding Hills; 81.76 percent in Precinct 4, which includes parts of northeastern Agawam; and 80.13 percent in Precinct 3, the Springfield Street-Mill Street area.