Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz Tuesday night defeated her closest challenger, Billy Delgado, by 1,700 votes.

Diaz won by approximately 4,700 votes to Delgado’s 2,700.

Frank Salado placed third in a field of six.

State Sen. Joe Vitale (D-19) backed Diaz against the Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19)-supported Delgado.

Vitale solidly backed Diaz from the beginning.

“There’s a national race?” the senator cracked, happy in victory after a very hard-fought and contentious campaign that ended with the city ripped up by Hurricane Sandy.

“Win or lose, you never question the voters,” Vitale said. “In the end the voters decided they wanted her to be the mayor.”

The mayor prevailed despite a late intense push by the CWA to oust her.