Steven “Big Steve” Tracey, the Republican Town Committee (RTC)-endorsed mayoral candidate, will be the Republican candidate on the November ballot after he defeated his primary challenger Sal Maltese 727 votes to 448 in the Sept. 10 primary.

In the primary, 1,178 or 32 percent of East Haven’s 3,636 registered Republicans turned out to vote. Maltese carried his home district, District 2, by 166 votes to 157, winning the absentee ballots in district by a large margin, 47 to 11. Tracey carried the remaining districts.

Tracey, a bail bondsman and former professional wrestler who currently serves on the Town Council, will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot running against Democrat Joseph Carfora and petitioning candidate Oni Sioson.

Republicans in District 4 were also offered a primary choice for Town Council representatives. RTC-endorsed candidates were Bob Cubelotti, Linda Hennessey, and Robert Ranfone; challenger Samantha Parlato collected enough signatures to force the primary. Parlato successfully gained a spot on the ballot with 118 votes; Hennessey won 132 votes and Ranfone won 118, preserving their candidacies, while Cubelooti was eliminated with 98 votes.