With Fumo holding up Farnese's arm, boxing-champion style, the Democratic nominee stood in the open outdoor cafe window of the Paradiso Restaurant in South Philadelphia to claim victory last night.

"Tonight, this city took five steps forward," Farnese, 39, said. "Tonight, we made another statement that Harrisburg will be reformed . . . and tonight, we fought back corruption and old-school politics in the city of Philadelphia.

"Tonight, we turn the page of the First District," he said, his parents standing nearby. "The torch has been passed."

The third candidate in the race, Anne Dicker, 35, a grassroots progressive, followed far behind in votes.

Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was smiling but seemingly stunned when he appeared a half-hour later before chanting and clapping supporters at Galdo's Banquet Hall in South Philadelphia.

"If I had to do it again, I wouldn't have ran this any other way," said Dougherty, who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his race and outspent his opponents. "We were positive all the way. Not one ounce of negativity."

"We're stuck between third base and home, and it's the bottom of the ninth," Dougherty said. "We round third base, and I think we slipped."

It was Dougherty's first run for public office.

Farnese's victory could not have happened without Fumo, who dropped out of the race last month because of his pending federal fraud and corruption trial.

Once the senator left, his supporters - including City Councilmen Frank DiCicco and James F. Kenney - moved into the Farnese camp, offering guidance and money.

Although Fumo never came out publicly for Farnese, he lobbied for him behind the scenes, providing funding through a PAC he controls and getting state Senate colleagues to contribute more than $287,000.

Farnese, who grew up in Drexel Hill, campaigned as a reformer with a realist's eye, supporting gun control and universal health care, but also speaking out strongly against Dougherty, labeling the union leader a "thug" and repeatedly calling attention to a federal investigation of Dougherty now under way.

Dougherty, for his part, sought to portray Farnese as Fumo's puppet.

Farnese will face Republican Jack Morley in November, and possibly Joseph Vignola, a Democratic former city controller and councilman who is considering running as an independent.

The First District extends from Philadelphia International Airport to Port Richmond and Brewerytown; it encompasses South Philadelphia and Center City.

Passions have historically run high in the district. Fears that they could be exacerbated by a longtime feud between Fumo and Dougherty prompted the nonpartisan Committee of Seventy to dispatch a disproportionate number of poll watchers - 140 - throughout the First.

U.S. Justice Department observers also were on standby.

Despite the tensions, no serious incidents were reported as lawyers for the Farnese and Dougherty campaigns went back and forth to court filing complaints.

At Farnese's election night headquarters, a cheer went up about 9:20 p.m. when returns, which had been showing Dougherty in the lead, turned in their candidate's favor.

About the same time, the crowd at Dougherty's opulent bash at Galdo's became subdued.

It never got better, and even news that the Flyers had won their playoff series against Washington was not sufficient to lift spirits there.

Dougherty had clearly anticipated winning.

Open bars, tables filled with food fit for an Irish and Italian wedding, and hospitality tents outside attested to his campaign's wealth.

Holographic images of Dougherty were projected on the buildings exterior as crowds filled the street and traffic slowed to a crawl.