LYNN – Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy handily defeated challenger and City Council President Timothy Phelan in a preliminary turnout lower than many anticipated.Kennedy took 24 of 28 precincts with a total vote of 4,690 (57.5 percent) to Phelan?s 3,428 (42.14 percent). There were 33 write-in votes citywide. Of the city?s nearly 51,000 registered voters, 8,448, or 16.6 percent, cast ballots.Once the preliminary election results were announced, the jubilant incumbent mayor took the microphone to address a crowd of 70 cheering supporters at the Franco-American Post on Western Avenue. And she urged them not to become complacent.?I need you to know, usually when you see a pretty significant win like that, it wakes a sleeping giant,” she said, noting it?s the results in the November election that matter.Former Councilor at large Loretta Cuffe O?Donnell, Kennedy?s campaign manager, said there are some areas of the city where the campaign needs to put more work in, and that her goal is to draw 10,000 voters on Nov. 5.?I?ve never seen a primary with so much money spent on the other side,” O?Donnell said. Phelan outspent Kennedy 2-1 in the campaign leading up to the preliminary election.Kennedy called her voters “a quiet majority,” and said it?s not political signs that bring voters to the polls. “We know what?s right, we know what we have to do, and we go out and do it,” she said.She urged supporters to stay active, vigilant and enthusiastic over the next six weeks, then commented, “But it?s a hell of a lot easier to stay enthusiastic when you have a number like ours,” she said, and they responded with cheers.Kennedy supporter Lorie Armenio said she knew the mayor would win this one. “I had a blast holding signs for Judy today,” she said. “There were so many beeps it was unbelievable.”Mike Cerulli, husband of Kennedy?s Chief of Staff Jamie Cerulli, said Kennedy supporters needed to “keep their eyes on the prize.”?It?s a nice win, but only a small percentage of voters came out,” he said. “We can?t take this to mean anything except it creates momentum as you push toward the final election.”Phelan entered his campaign headquarters on Myrtle Street at about 8:20 p.m. to the applause of about 40 volunteers. Although not all of the results had been announced at that point, enough were in that Phelan knew it was not his night.?There?s no better poll than an election day and the numbers aren?t looking good for us,” he told The Item as he made his way around the room thanking volunteers individually. “But my parents always taught me when you get knocked down, you?ve gotta get right back on your feet, so that?s what I?m going to do, start working a little harder tomorrow.?I?ll have to analyze the vote and it will take me a few days to do that, then we?ll sit down with our people and see where we go from here ? I?m going to keep working hard and see what happens. I think we have to do a better job of getting our message out and that will be my goal.” And on a lighter note, Phelan joked, “On the bright side I finished in the top two.”Tim?s wife, Stacy, speculated that despite a low turnout, police officers and firefighters made it to the polls to support Kennedy.The preliminary results, Stacy Phelan said, reflect that Kennedy is “doing an alright job and people are happy enough with what?s going on. They?re OK with that.”Robin Phelan, a cousin of the challenger for mayor, said the race isn?t over until it?s over.?It?s very hard to beat an incumbent mayor. But I remember when Tim ran in the councilor at large race (in 2011), Buzzy came out on top in the preliminary and Tim pulled it off” to top the ticket in the final election.Phelan supporter Kevin McCarthy said, “It?s an extremely low turnout” and that Phelan “is going to have to move the base. You?ve got to get them to show up at the polls.”