JERSEY CITY -- Voters are sending back at least five Jersey City council members to the council in January, but Mayor Steve Fulop won't know if he retains control of the nine-member body until the December runoffs.

The outright winners tonight, according to preliminary results from the county clerk, are all three at-large council people -- Rolando Lavarro, Daniel Rivera and Joyce Watterman -- plus Ward D Councilman Michael Yun and Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson. The other races appear headed for runoffs on Dec. 5.

"I'm excited. I'm thrilled. I'm very happy," Lavarro told The Jersey Journal. "I think it's an affirmation of the work we've done over the past four years and the Jersey City electorate's desire to ... continue the progress."

Lavarro, Watterman and Rivera won re-election tonight by wide margins, roughly three-to-one over their closest competitors. Lavarro, 47, who first joined the council in 2011, looks like he may be the top vote-getter, with more than 18,300 votes.

Lavarro crossed the vote threshold necessary for him, Rivera and Watterman to avoid a runoff, according to City Clerk Robert Byrne. The trio, all Fulop allies, faced five challengers today, none of which came within 11,000 votes of the victors.

"I'm only standing here because of you," Watterman, 59, told a crowd of supporters at Zeppelin Hall in Downtown Jersey City tonight. "I promise you I will do my best for you."

Yun, 63, won nearly 60 percent of the vote, about twice the number of votes as his nearest competitor, according to preliminary results. Robinson, 42, who was appointed to the council in January, won his first full term tonight, nabbing 56 percent of the vote against five challengers.

No candidates in Wards A, B, C and E received more than 50 percent of the vote so the top two finishers in each race will face off on Dec. 5.

In Ward A, Denise Ridley, a Fulop ally, will face Joe Conte. In Ward B, Fulop ally Mira Prinz-Arey will compete against incumbent Councilman Chris Gadsden. Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano will vie against Fulop ally John Hanussak. And in Ward E, Rebecca Symes and James Solomon will go one-on-one.

Symes, 36, who appeared at Fulop's victory party after returns came in, said she is "very excited" to be the top vote-getter in the Ward E council race. She bested Solomon by more than 500 votes.

"I think it's indicative of how hard we worked," Symes said. "I think we outworked people because we certainly didn't outspend them ... I'm really proud of that."

Symes' campaign spent $58,319 to Solomon's $116,136, their campaign filings show.

Fulop, who won re-election tonight by a wide margin, heads into the Dec. 5 runoffs with four solid allies on the council. He would need at least two more to assure passage of bond ordinances.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.