DETROIT -- Detroiters on Tuesday elected basketball legend Dave Bing as their mayor, sweeping incumbent Ken Cockrel Jr. from office and giving the ex-Pistons great at least through the end of the year to make a dent in the city's myriad problems.

"Detroit, you have voted for change," Bing said at his after-election celebration late Tuesday night. "The real work starts now ... and we will start immediately."

Bing had 52.3 percent of the vote, or 49,054 votes, to 47.7 percent, or 44,770 votes, for Cockrel. Both are Democrats.

Bing, 65, will serve out the remainder of Kwame Kilpatrick's second term, but must run again in the regular Aug. 4 nonpartisan primary and win the Nov. 3 general election to hold onto the mayor's seat for a full four years.

Wednesday, Bing spoke to reporters and announced that ex-city official Freman Hendrix and prominent businesswoman Denise Ilitch will lead advisers who will help him during his first 100 days in office.

Bing also said he spoke by phone in the morning with Cockrel and the two agreed to meet later in the day or Thursday to discuss the transition.

Bing said he will wait until the vote is certified before meeting with the city council.

A board of canvassers is to meet Thursday afternoon to begin its work, said Rachel Jones, deputy director of the city elections department.

After the board completes the canvassing process, it has two weeks to certify the election, a process Jones doesn't expect to take that long.

Cockrel was City Council president before Kilpatrick's departure automatically promoted him to the mayor's office. Bing, has no experience in politics but finished first in the primary.

About 15 percent of the city's registered 621,600 voters participated.

A proposal to revise the city charter also was on the ballot and passed overwhelmingly.

Seventy-eight percent, 68,477 of voters approved the changes to the charter. While 19,649 said no.

Bing thanked his family and Cockrel during his speech, saying he is looking forward to working with Cockrel to bring the city back. Bing said he will work to bring "efficiency, transparency, honesty and integrity" to the people of Detroit.

"We are going to have to work together as Detroiters," Bing said.

At his after-election speech, Cockrel thanked his family and election volunteers.

"They can never say that we didn't fight a hell of a fight," Cockrel said. "But at the end of the day, it all comes down to math and the math shows he is the winner."

Cockrel thanked Bing and said he had one message for him, "Get to know this city."

Both candidates shared the same challenge Monday -- trying to get voters interested in the special general elections.

"With four elections in a ten-month period, I think people are worn out and a lot of them think that this isn't that important. But this may be the most important election because we can't afford to wait another six or seven months," said Bing Monday.

"This is likely one that will determine who the next mayor is, not only for the rest of this year, but for the next four years," said Cockrel.

Neil Pioch, 31, said he didn't like Bing's criticism of Cockrel's decade on the council.

"Public service is a noble calling," the lawyer said outside King High. "Cockrel is a time-tested civil servant which is something the city needs. More steady at the helm. I think he's doing a decent job."

Scandal caused the special election, but Detroit has other issues on its plate. The city has a $250 million to $300 million budget deficit, double-digit unemployment and a wave of home foreclosures.

Cockrel, 43, has pushed for neighborhood improvement and better public safety. Bing has said his business experience can help Detroit.

Cockrel said on Local 4's Flashpoint Sunday that technically, he sees himself as a businessman too; only he's the head of a not-for-profit business called city government.

"But you can't strictly apply a business model. You can't because at the end of the day, business is about tuning a profit and the bottom line," said Cockrel.

"I actually have a coherent plan. I don't know what Dave Bing's plans are," said Cockrel.

To view Flashpoint, click here .

"He's going to find out where the waste is," said voter Earl Parker, 50, a property manager. "Bing is business."

Cockrel is expected to return to city council.

The special election cost $2.5 million, including the Feb. 24 primary.

View: sample ballot .

Election Day Not Without Controversy

Cockrel was accused Tuesday by Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey of electioneering, which is wearing campaign paraphernalia to a polling place with the intent of influencing voters.

Local 4 cameras captured Cockrel, his wife and son wearing yellow "Ken Cockrel Corps." T-shirts inside of the polling station while they voted in the special election.

The video was reviewed by Winfrey.

"Any material, election garb, hats buttons, it's called electioneering ... that came up in the special primary," said Winfrey.

Winfrey said she sent Cockrel a letter a while back notifying him that he violated the campaign rules in February's special primary.

"I don't recall getting that letter, but clearly you seem to be making it an issue," Cockrel told Local 4.

Electioneering is considered a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine said Winfrey. Winfrey said she will refer the issue to the city's law department.

"It doesn't say 'vote,' it doesn't say 'elect,'" Cockrel said. "These are shirts that we just don't wear for election purposes, they are shirts that we use for community purposes.."

Cockrel said if there is any wrongdoing, he will deal with it.

"If I am wrong, I am wrong. That's how we'll deal with it. If I have to enter a polling place, I'll take the shirt off," said Cockrel.

To see other Wayne County election results click here .

To see Macomb County election results click here .

To see Oakland County election results click here .