Labour's Joe Anderson has become Liverpool's first elected mayor.
The councillor, who has until now been leader of Liverpool City Council, won the city's first mayoral elections at the first count with 58,448 votes.
It comes after the council voted in February to accept a "city deal" which is set to bring in £130 million in additional government funds.
Mr Anderson was followed in the poll by independent candidate Liam Fogarty with 8292 votes and Liberal Democrat Richard Kemp with 6238, but with 57.70% of the vote he won at the first count.
Campaigning for the mayoral elections had been marred this week after both the British National Party and National Front candidates were arrested.
BNP candidate Mike Whitby was arrested on Monday over allegations that signatures on his nomination papers were faked.
And on Wednesday, National Front candidate Peter Tierney, who also goes by the surname Quiggins, was charged with breaching the Public Order Act outside Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.
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As the result was announced shortly after 4am this morning, a group of National Front supporters unveiled a banner and then heckled Mr Anderson as he took to the stand to give his acceptance speech.
The winning candidate said: "The people of Liverpool have spoken decisively in favour of the Labour Party.
"They have rejected the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats within this city and have given me their trust and the Labour Party their trust.
"I promise to you that we will deliver on our pledges and on our promises.
"The future of this city is a bright one. It is not represented by fascists or by people who do not represent this city," he added.
"It is proud to be represented by democrats, democrats like you and like me and like every citizen within this city, and we will democratically defeat those fascists at the ballot box every time.
"That is why they shout loudly now, because the people of this city have told them loud and clear: get stuffed."