The Chatham Party won four seats to take control of the East Hampton Town Council on Tuesday night.

Sue Weintraub, the only Chatham Party candidate on the previous council, was the top vote-getter with 1,475.

"I'd like to thank the people of East Hampton for their confidence and trust. What took place tonight was extraordinary," Weintraub said. "They're saying what they want. Very clearly. They want us to take politics out of town governance. They want us to lead this town forward, and that's what we're going to do."

In all, the Chatham Party won eight seats, including two on the board of finance and two on the board of education.

"For an independent party, this was absolutely fantastic," said Kyle Dostaler, who returns to the council after having served in 2005-07. "With what we've done, for who we are as an independent party, it's a fantastic accomplishment. I thank all the volunteers and the effort from everyone who made this possible."

Besides Weintraub and Dostaler, other candidates elected to the council are Derek Johnson and Glenn Suprono of the Chatham Party, Democrats Barbara Moore and George Pfaffenbach and Republican Ted Hintz Jr.

The final six seats were separated by 37 votes.

In the board of finance race, Mary Ann Dostaler of the Chatham Party was the top vote-getter with 1,312.

In the board of education race, Democrat Ken Barber got the most votes with 1,519. In a bit of a surprise, Republican incumbent Don Coolican lost out on the fourth and final seat up for grabs by nine votes.

But it was the town council race that had garnered the most attention, and in the end, the most change. The council will have five new members, with only Moore and Weintraub returning.

After a tumultuous past 17 months centering around then-Town Manager Jeffrey O'Keefe's failed attempt to oust Police Chief Matt Reimondo and the unwanted publicity for the town that came with it, voter frustration with the council and the two major parties apparently was reflected in the results.

"I'm very proud with what he have done the past two years," outgoing council member Chatham Carillo said, "and I hope that what we have now is not going to set us back."

Some Democrats faulted the Democratic Town committee as a whole for not supporting the candidates the committee itself had approved.

"We feel that way," Moore said.

There will be an organizational meeting of the new town council Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall meeting room.