Following a mandatory hand recount of every ballot, incumbent Ed Egan on Friday was certified the winner of the Fire District 22, Position No. 4 race, besting Pat McElligott by just 16 votes.

The original machine count of the election has the two candidates separated by 22 votes, or just 0.123 percent of the more than 17,000 votes cast. State law mandates a hand recount at a difference of 0.250 percent.

The final numbers, according to Pierce County Elections, show Egan receiving 8,915 votes to McElligott’s 8,899.

“I’m ecstatic, I’m euphoric, I’m glad it’s over,” Egan said Friday after being notified of his victory.

Egan has served as a fire commissioner for the past nine years, seven of which were in Edgewood, which voted to annex into East Pierce Fire and Rescue’s district in 2009. Because of the growth of East Pierce, the Board of Commissioners grew to 12 members and were forced to run against each other as East Pierce reduced back to five commissioners.

Egan was also challenged by newcomer McElligott, a tacoma firefighter.

Election workers began the process of hand recounting the ballots Monday and continued all day long through the week.

Egan, 69, lives in Edgewood and is a former safety manager with Weyerhaeuser.

He thanked the community for voting for him as well as his family and friends for supporting him through the campaign and the lengthy ballot-counting process and said he looks forward to continuing to serve the community.

“I have nothing but the highest regard for our professional and volunteer firefighters,” he said. “I intend to be out there listening and working with all our people.”

The East Pierce fire commissioners meet at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at the East Pierce headquarters station, 18421 Old Buckley Highway.