Labour have retained a council seat after a closely watched by-election that was expected to be a tight race with the Green Party.
Carl Austin-Behan was elected for Burnage in south Manchester with 1,365 votes, ahead of Green candidate Daoud Nawaz on 1,037.
The vote was triggered when former Manchester council leader Bev Craig stepped down as a councillor after being elected Greater Manchester mayor in July.
Austin-Behan said he was “honoured” residents had put their trust in him again after representing the ward previously from 2011 to 2018.
He said his priorities would be restoring the 169 bus service, along with tackling speeding on Kingsway, reducing fly-tipping and improving activities for young people in the area.
Labour’s victory had been far from certain after the party lost a Burnage seat in May’s local elections, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external said.
Austin-Behan said the political landscape had changed since then and argued voters were beginning to regain confidence in Labour.
“We were in a different place in May,” he said. “I think people are getting faith back in Labour.”
Manchester City Council leader Garry Bridges said a “Burnham bounce” had played a role in the result, adding that Labour supporters who had turned away from the party earlier in the year were now returning.