Christopher Cheater won the hotly contested Rettendon Parish Council by-election by just 20 votes.
Mr Cheater garnered 270 votes in Thursday's poll, compared to 250 for Glenys Jones.
The turnout for the election was 40 per cent and was initiated after Cllr Bob Sankey stood down at the end of last year.
Cheater, Christopher: 270.
Jones, Glenys: 250.
