Desert Hot Springs' incumbent mayor and council members claimed victory Tuesday in a heated race against challengers.

The trio of incumbents credited their re-election to a sense of stability that has been brought to city leadership during the past two years.

• 2009 election returns

• Visit mydesert.com/elections for complete election coverage

Incumbent Mayor Yvonne Parks beat Councilman Russell Betts in her bid for a second term as mayor, 61.8 percent to 38.2 percent.

Incumbent council members Scott Matas and Jan Pye also won against three challengers who sought to take their seats, taking 33.4 percent and 25.4 percent of the vote, respectively.

In a shared election-night party, Parks, Matas and Pye credited their wins to continuing progress in a city that has a less-than-favorable history of political problems coupled with an ongoing fight against crime.

After learning of her early lead, Parks, a 73-year-old retiree, high-fived her supporters and started a chant: “Parks, Matas and Pye!”

“It's very exciting. I'm so elated,” she said. “This team is moving the city forward, and we're going to continue the momentum. We're laying the groundwork for the future.”

She had campaigned on the premise that the city is better than it was two years ago, citing 37 miles of repaved streets, renovated parks and reductions in crime.

Betts, a 51-year-old business owner who was elected to the council in December 2007, said he “had no expectations” for the race, but thanked his supporters for their round-the- clock work.

“You don't run to just elevate issues. You run to win, and that's what our objective was,” he said. “Certainly, the issue of property tax is out there now, though, and at least people are aware of that.”

Betts lost his bid for mayor, but he will remain on the City Council.

His term expires in November 2011.

During her next mayoral term, Parks said she wants the city to focus on creating youth opportunities, followed closely by an emphasis on economic development and tourism opportunities.

She also wants to see the police force grow and continue crackdowns on parolees, she said.

“We'll never take our eye off crime,” Parks said. “That will be our No. 1 focus.”

Meanwhile, Desert Hot Springs City Council incumbents Matas, 38, and Pye, 57, defeated their three challengers in the race to retain their council seats.

Russ Martin, 62, a retired police sergeant, fell in third place with 23.5 percent of the vote. That was 62 votes shy of the 816 Pye picked up to win re-election.

Terry Scheurer, a former financial analyst and computer consultant, finished with 9.8 percent or the vote. Robert Bentley, 41, an independent paralegal and businessman, rounded out the challengers with 7.8 percent.

Pye said she was “humbled and honored” by the early results.

“We haven't had this kind of consistent progress since I've been living here, and I've lived here 14 years,” she said.

Her first priority, she said, will be putting to use her skills as a financial analyst.

“I will watch the dollars, how we spend them, why we spend them. That's what I bring to the table,” she said.

Matas, a Desert Hot Springs native, credited their early lead to the council's stability during the past two years.

He said he wants to focus on public safety and economic development -- and believes the right council is in place to take action.

“We didn't just talk about what we were going to do,” he said. “We have actually gone out and done it.”