The vote count at the end of election night gave Traini a 248-vote lead. But that lead dropped to 183 votes on Wednesday when officials counted absentee ballots cast through last Thursday.
The new count shows Traini with 2,947 votes and Clary with 2,764.
An unknown number of absentee ballots that are still out and 1,480 questioned ballots citywide will be counted April 16, said city clerk Barbara Gruenstein.
In four other Assembly races, incumbents Debbie Ossiander of Eagle River-Chugiak and Jennifer Johnston of South Anchorage, and newcomers Paul Honeman of East Anchorage and Ernie Hall of West Anchorage all scored definitive wins.
Mayor Dan Sullivan, who supported Hall, Clary and Adam Trombley -- the conservative opponent of Honeman, said he thinks the new members won't shift the Assembly one way or the other. "It's still going to be a fairly even body," he said Wednesday.
The existing Assembly sometimes votes 6-5, with liberal-leaning members on the dominant side.
The three new members who will take office on April 20 all call themselves non-partisan.
"If Traini prevails, he's a known commodity -- a straight shooter," said Sullivan. "Ernie Hall is really a pragmatist. ... Paul Honeman served the city for 31 years, and has that perspective." Honeman is a retired police officer.
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