Incumbent Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel celebrated Tuesday night a hard-fought victory in a tense run-off race against challenger Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia. Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff notorious for his brusque management style, was forced to campaign furiously across the city to beat Cook County Commissioner Garcia after failing to capture a majority against four other candidates in a February election. The mayoral runoff was the first since the city changed the way it conducts elections about 20 years ago. Scroll down for video . Four more years: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel celebrates a victorious election night at Plumbers Local 130 Union Hall, Tuesday, April 7 . Celebratory smooch: Mayor Emanuel exchanged a kiss with his wife, Amy Rule, as Chicago's first couple reveled in the runoff win . Second City's first family: Emanuel was joined on stage by his family, including (L to R), daughter Leah, wife Amy and son Zachariah . Rahm's entourage: Mayor Emanuel's brothers Ari, left, and Ezekiel Emanuel, smile as they celebrate his victory . ‘To all the voters I want to thank you for putting me through my paces,’ an elated Emanuel told supporters Tuesday night. ‘I will be a better mayor because of that. I will carry your voices, your concerns into ... the mayor's office.’ The 55-year-old mayor ascended the stage at Plumbers Local 130 Union Hall Tuesday night to the sounds of U2's Beautiful Day, accompanied by his wife, Amy Rule, their children and Emanuel's brothers, high-powered Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel and prominent bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel. With nearly all voting precincts reporting results, Emanuel had about 56 per cent of the vote compared to around 44 per cent for his opponent. ‘To all the little boys and girls watching: We didn't lose today, we tried,’ Garcia told his supporters gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago. ‘We fought hard for what we believed in. You don't succeed at this or anything else unless you try.’ Garcia said he had called Emanuel to concede. The incumbent highlighted tough decisions he's made since succeeding former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2011, but admitted that his management approach too often rubbed city residents the wrong way. He portrayed Garcia as too inexperienced to handle the city's financial crunch. Gracious: An elated Emanuel thanked voter for putting him through his paces and said he will be a better mayor because of it . All smiles: Mayor Emanuel's supporters were out in full force Tuesday night to celebrate his victory in the runoff . Sizable victory: With nearly all voting precincts reporting results, Emanuel had about 56 per cent of the vote compared to around 44 percent for his opponent . Many of those heading to the polls Tuesday said the election should be a signal. ‘Hopefully he [Emanuel] takes heed of the runoff when he should have been a shoo-in,’ said Richard Rowe, a 50-year-old, who planned to vote for the incumbent. Jesus Fernandez, a 44-year-old window washer who voted for Garcia, had the same view. ‘If he [Garcia] gets close, we might push Rahm to do something,’ Fernandez said. ‘At least we push him a little bit.’ Emanuel raised far more money than Garcia, plastered the airwaves with ads and had support from his former boss, President Obama, who cast an early ballot for him from Washington. The mayor faces huge obstacles in his second term, from fixing the worst-funded pension systems of any big US city to stemming stubborn violence and confronting labor unions that just spent millions trying to defeat him. Chicago's four pension systems are about $20billion in debt, and the fund for Chicago Public Schools teachers is short about $7billion of what's needed to pay benefits as promised. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. waits backstage before Cook County Commissioner Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia gives his concession speech during an election night event at the University of Illinois . Failed bid: Chicago mayoral candidate Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia conceded the runoff election  at the UIC Forum . Garcia told his supporters: 'We didn't lose today, we tried. We fought hard for what we believed in' Garcia's support is seen wiping her eyes while listening to his concession speech Tuesday . If Emanuel can't work a deal with labor unions or get the Illinois Legislature to approve relief, the city is on the hook for an additional $550million payment to the retirement accounts, bringing the total payment to about $1billion. He's said that would be roughly equal to the annual cost of having 4,300 police officers on the street or raising property taxes by 150 percent. Emanuel also must deal with ongoing concerns about crime, one of the areas Garcia hit him on repeatedly during the election. After a spike in homicides early in his first term, the number fell to the lowest level in a half-century though the number of shootings has climbed 12 per cent. ‘I'm proud of what we've accomplished in these past four years, but I understand the challenges we face will require me to approach them differently and to work in a different fashion,’ Emanuel said. ‘The only way to meet these challenges is to bridge the gaps between the things that divide us and start focusing on the things that unite us and bring us together.’ Garcia, a former community organizer, alderman and state lawmaker, ran a campaign focused on the city's neighborhoods, with support from teachers and unions upset with Emanuel. Historic election: It was the first runoff race since Chicago switched to non-partisan elections 20 years ago . Tooting her own horn: Ramona Parkman welcomes Mayor Rahm Emanuel to a campaign office Tuesday, April 7, 2015, by blowing a Jewish shofar ram's horn on the south side of Chicago . Tense race: Emanuel, 55, was forced to campaign furiously across the city for the past two months . In this March, 31, 2015 file photo, Emanuel, left, and challenger, Cook County Commissioner Garcia, appear during a televised mayoral debate in Chicago . He accused the mayor of being out of touch with voters and blamed him for the fiscal problems, while playing up the mayor's push to close about 50 schools and a gang violence problem that spiked during Emanuel's first term. He also vowed to end Chicago's troubled red-light camera system, which some residents believe is discriminatory and focuses more on revenue than safety. Election officials said more than 142,300 Chicago voters cast early ballots for the runoff, far outpacing early voting turnout in February and four years ago.
With nearly all voting precincts reporting results, Emanuel had 55.5 per cent of the vote compared to 44.5 per cent for his opponent . Mayoral candidate Cook County Commissioner Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia said he had called Emanuel to concede . Mayoral runoff was the first since the city changed the way it conducts elections about 20 years ago .