Schember, a Democrat, will face GOP nominee Persinger in the Nov. 7 municipal election.

For nearly five years, Joe Schember talked quietly with colleagues, family, trusted advisers and friends about a political renaissance.

Schember's comeback became a reality Tuesday night — in a huge way.

The 66-year-old Democrat, a former city councilman and PNC Bank vice president, captured the Democratic nomination for Erie mayor in Tuesday's municipal primary. Schember — who called his primary victory "thrilling" and "one of the best moments of my life," will go into the Nov. 7 municipal election as a heavy favorite over the Republican mayoral nominee, John Persinger, who also claimed victory on Tuesday.

According to unofficial vote totals from the Erie County Courthouse, with all 63 city voting districts counted, Schember received 3,861 votes, or 31 percent, followed by City Councilman Bob Merski with 2,994 votes (25 percent); current Erie County Councilman Jay Breneman, 2,365 votes (20 percent); former City Councilwoman Rubye Jenkins-Husband, 1,642 votes (14 percent); Edinboro University professor Lisa Austin, 535 votes (4 percent); Almi Clerkin, executive director of the Erie Playhouse, 505 votes (4 percent); and Steve Franklin, retired Erie police chief, 305 votes (3 percent).

On the Republican side, Persinger, a lawyer, garnered 1,898 votes, or 66 percent. The other Republican on the ballot, businessman Jon Whaley, collected 763 votes, or 26 percent.

Addressing a raucous crowd of roughly 100 family members, friends and political supporters at the Nuova Aurora Society of Erie, 1518 Walnut St., Schember said he will take nothing for granted on the campaign trail heading into November, and he promised that if elected, he will collaborate with other business and community leaders to remake Erie.

Schember will be a favorite over Persinger in November's election largely because of the city's more than 2 to 1 Democratic voter registration edge. No Republican has been elected mayor of Erie since Charles Williamson in 1961.

"We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn this city around. And we're going to do it!" Schember said as his supporters clapped and chanted "Joe! Joe! Joe!" and shot videos and pictures of the moment on their cellphones.

"I made a commitment that I would do a positive campaign. Nothing negative," Schember said. "I'm continuing to be committed to doing that."

Democratic Mayor Joe Sinnott, first elected in 2005, cannot run again because of city term limits. So Tuesday's municipal primary marked the first time in 12 years that Erie voters cast ballots to elect a new mayor.

Violence, job losses, blight and a struggling school system were among the candidates' top campaign issues. Further, nearly every mayoral candidate, including Schember and Persinger, also embraced Erie Refocused, the city's first comprehensive plan in decades, which was launched by Sinnott's administration.

The plan was released in 2016, and it addresses Erie's future needs in terms of transportation, housing, land use, economic development and other areas, to combat decades of systemic decline.

Schember said he plans to approach November's contest by "taking nothing for granted" and continuing to visit neighborhoods and listening to residents' concerns about what the city needs.

"I'm going to focus on building relationships with people in the community, business leaders, the nonprofits and other government leaders," Schember said. "That's my strength, relationship building. That's what I intend to stress and what I intend to do."

Schember served on City Council between 2006 and 2012. He also served as council’s Finance Committee chairman during his tenure.

"It's something I've felt called to do," Schember said of a mayoral run. "I feel like I need to step up and do something for the community. At this point in my life, this is what I want to do and I feel like everything I've done in my life has prepared me for this."

Persinger, 35, said he's looking forward to the challenge.

The first-time political candidate is a Harvard University and Notre Dame Law School graduate who has experience working in the West Wing of the White House as an aide to the deputy counsel to President George W. Bush. Persinger has also served as an executive assistant to the U.S. ambassador to Australia. He is a lawyer with the MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton firm.

"We felt good (about the campaign)," Persinger said outside the Brewerie at Union Station, 123 W 14th St., where he celebrated with supporters on Tuesday night. "We worked hard. We got out there and started knocking on doors in February.

"We targeted super Republican voters ... and we will definitely be going back to them in the fall," Persinger said. "As well as Democrats and independents. Everyone across the board is ready for some new leadership in this city."

Persinger said the Democratic voter registration edge within the city does not dampen his enthusiasm.

"Our strategy is to talk to the voters about the way this city has gone for the past 60 years, ask them if they're pleased with how (things) have gone," Persinger said. "They look across the city and see underfunded schools, a drug epidemic, violence in open streets, loss of jobs and industry.

"They recognize it's time for a change," Persinger said. "They don't care whether it's Democrat or Republican. ... They want the best candidate to tackle these issues."

Kevin Flowers can be reached at 870-1693 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNflowers.