Best campaign. Most winners are nominated but two stood out: Republican Geoff Davis' 10-point pounding of Democrat Nick Clooney in the 4th District race and Rob Sanders in the Covington City Commission race, where the first-time candidate finished as the vote-getter.

Worst campaign. U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning won re-election, but he barely survived. A GOP incumbent in a state trending Republican who had $6 million to spend plus the name recognition of being in baseball's Hall of Fame should have pounded Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, an obscure Democratic state legislator from deep in the eastern Kentucky mountains who spent less than $2 million.

Best operatives. Brian Richmond, who managed Sanders; Scott Sedmak, who managed Republican Sen. Jack Westwood's easy victory over Democrat Kathy Groob in Kenton County's 23rd Senate District, and Justin Brasell, Davis' campaign manager.

Cheapest shots. The "Looney Clooney" mail piece sent out by Republicans in Washington; rumors that Bunning was sick; comments that Mongiardo was gay; and the Kentucky Republican Party's mailings on Groob, which contained more fiction than a Barnes and Noble.

Best ad. The spot by Davis, who runs a manufacturing consulting firm, that featured the wife of one of his employees. Davis has been under fire for a decision to incorporate his business in Tennessee because he was unable to provide adequate health care insurance for his workers in Kentucky. The woman is a breast cancer survivor who talked of how Davis' decision helped her deal with her disease. It was powerful stuff that had a lot of political and emotional heft.

Worst miscalculation. People love celebrities, so why did Clooney hide his son George, an actor who left Kentucky to make it big in Hollywood? Instead of embracing what he has accomplished, Clooney hid the guy away like he was a crazy aunt instead of a world-famous star. George could have raised money, which Clooney ended up desperately needing, grabbed lots of media attention and excited voters. Nick Clooney was worried that George's liberal views would hurt him, but why not roll the dice? How much more could it have hurt? Clooney lost by 10 points anyway.

Best forums. Lots of nominees here, but two of the best were the Kentucky Women in Action debate in August, which really set the tone for the region's statehouse races; and the Legacy debate between Clooney and Davis at NKU, which attracted a crowd of more than 1,000.

Best news. No elections next year.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com. Crowley interviews 4th District GOP Chairman Marcus Carey this week on ICN6's "On The Record," which is broadcast daily on Insight Communications Channel 6.