Todd Portune became the first Democrat to win a seat on the Hamilton County Commission in 36 years Tuesday, beating incumbent Republican Bob Bedinghaus to end one of the Tristate's most contested and controversial campaigns.

        “I think ultimately the voters realized there is a basic difference between us,” said Mr. Portune, a member of Cincinnati City Council. “It came down to trust and who the voters thought they could trust for the next three years.”

        Mr. Portune had 47.7 percent of the vote; Mr. Bedinghaus had 43.0 percent; and Paul Naberhaus, the Libertarian candidate, had 9.2 percent.

        Mr. Portune, 42, of Westwood consistently used the cost overruns at Paul Brown Stadium and a generous lease agreement with the Bengals against Mr. Bedinghaus in the campaign. Mr. Bedinghaus was a driving force behind the sales tax increase that financed the new Bengals stadium and new Reds ballpark along Cincinnati's riverfront.

        Mr. Bedinghaus, 41, of Delhi Township said in a statement that he was proud of his tenure on the commission.

        “We've put this community on a path for a great future. I understood, since I came forward with the stadium initiative, that I was taking a political risk - one that might cost me my commission seat. But I got into politics to help make this community better, not just to hold office.”

        In a very expensive and controversial advertising campaign, Mr. Bedinghaus painted Mr. Portune as a liberal who was unprepared to handle the challenges of being a county commissioner.

        The race turned nasty during the final weeks, and Mr. Portune said recent TV ads against him backfired. He said many Republicans told him they were repulsed by the ads and would vote for him.

        The ads show a couple in apparent shock over the positions taken by the so-called “Liberal Portune” while he served on the Cincinnati City Council. The narrowly-focused ads refered to condom giveaways, gay marriages and sneaker-for-guns programs, but didn't reflect actual decisions made by Mr. Portune.

        “A tremendous number of people have volunteered how offensive they have found those attacks,” Mr. Portune said.

        Said Mayor Tom Luken of Mr. Portune: “It's a credit to him. He hung tough. They (the Republicans) threw everything at him but the kitchen sink. I respect Bob Bedinghaus, but I think the (campaign's) commercials were absolutely reprehensible, hateful stuff.”

        Appointed to Cincinnati council in 1993, Mr. Portune ran mostly a grass-roots campaign, making a point of visiting each community in the county and shaking as many hands as possible.

        He worked into the early morning hours Tuesday, trying to secure every vote possible. Mr. Portune said his campaign was out dropping literature in Republican stronghold neighborhoods until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

        “I went home and got a couple hours sleep, and I've been at the polls ever since,” he said. “All day long.”

        Reporters Dan Klepal, Robert Anglen and Dan Horn contributed.

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