COUNCIL candidates Jeff Martinuzzi and Nancy Lanskey face an anxious week-long wait before they find out who has won Division 2.
Mr Martinuzzi led Ms Lanskey by 17 votes late yesterday but some postal votes are yet to be counted.
Preferences will not be tallied until Tuesday.
Mr Martinuzzi, a hardware store owner, had been on tenterhooks on Monday when he was a single vote ahead of his independent opponent but had relaxed as his lead grew.
"I’m quietly confident but we just have to wait," the Cairns 1st team member said.
Ms Lanskey said she was hopeful preferences would get her over the line.
"We’ll just have to hang in there and keep cheerful," she said.
"It is a bit stressful."
Meanwhile, Paul Freebody looks likely to return as Division 4
councillor.
Mr Freebody’s lead over 21-year-old Cairns 1st rival Kirsten Lesina had extended to more than 200 votes by yesterday.
Meanwhile, former mayor Kevin Byrne and ousted deputy mayor Terry James cleaned out their Unity campaign office on Spence St yesterday.
