This election was not a nail-biter. Despite predictions and polling that had pundits and candidates expecting to sweat it out for days, the results seemed clear as early as 8:15 pm after the first drop of 130,000 mail-in ballots. "I think the margin of victory and defeat is a big surprise," campaign consultant Christian Sinderman said around 10:00 p.m.

Early losers appeared to be Proposition 1, the $17.8 billion measure that wedded transit expansion to 182 miles of new roads (at 56 to 44 percent by the time the second bunch of ballots dropped); city council incumbent David Della was getting walloped 61 to 39 percent by challenger Tim Burgess; city council hopeful Venus Velázquez was losing by a similar margin to jock-turned-attorney Bruce Harrell; and the promising young Democratic hopeful in the King County Prosecutor's race, Bill Sherman, also appeared to be losing.

An oversized blue suit hanging on his skinny frame, Sherman stepped into the spotlight on the wooden stage at the Mainstage Comedy Club in Queen Anne at 8:15 p.m. to announce the first numbers. As if dreading to announce the tally (it was 54 to 46 percent in favor of his well-funded GOP opponent, Dan Satterberg), he talked about his campaign themes of "equal justice under the law" and "new values" to a dead-silent crowd of 30 or so. Then he announced the numbers. The room stayed dead silent. "There are 200,000 to 300,000 votes left," he said.

Another apparent loser: the regional roads and transit measure. At press time, the scene at the pro-roads and transit party at the downtown Westin Hotel was grim. Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg spoke first. "The question is, what now?" he said. "Well, now you're going to get up in the morning and you're going to be stuck in traffic, and that's going to go on for a while." He called opponents of the measure, who include both some environmentalists and some light-rail opponents, "aginners"—"they're against everything. They don't have a plan, they don't have a solution, but they're agin' it."

Ladenburg was alluding, in part, to the environmental community, which was divided on the roads and transit measure. Now environmental groups such as the Sierra Club say they want to get together with Proposition 1 supporters to come up with a plan that will pass. King County Council Member Larry Phillips, who thought voters were rejecting the package because of the cost, said that although it would be politically difficult to get something on the ballot next year, "I think there's a good chance we could win in a presidential year" like 2008.

In contrast, Ric Ilgenfritz, communications director for Sound Transit, seemed downright gloomy. "There is no plan B," Ilgenfritz said. "Our job is to do something about the transportation problem, and the transportation problem is going to be there tomorrow, just as it was today."

The mood at the anti-roads and transit party at Piecora's Pizza was, predictably, more upbeat. Local Sierra Club chapter president Mike O'Brien said he expects the Sierra Club will have a place at the table in crafting a replacement ballot measure. "There will likely be a roads component," O'Brien said. "I hope it's going to be a safety and maintenance component. I don't think [elected officials] are going to say, well, we just ran the wrong commercials."

The early numbers were also devastating for incumbent city council member David Della, whose campaign consisted of attacks against challenger Tim Burgess for work his firm did for the right-wing group Concerned Women for America. Della's party at the China Gate Restaurant in the International District was sparsely attended. There was a karaoke setup, but no one was singing.

Burgess, who ran a more substantive campaign, was winning in a landslide. Indeed, the Bricco Wine Bar on Queen Anne turned into a victory party as early as 8:15 p.m. "Obviously, there must be something wrong," Burgess joked, adding, "I hope we don't get slammed for having this party in such a chichi wine bar."

Another early result: the Harrell over Velázquez race—an acrimonious contest that ended in Velázquez's DUI arrest two weeks before the election. A former UW football star, Harrell got crushed in the primary by Velázquez but came back to defeat her, as of the night's final count, 60 to 38 percent. Velázquez, whose party at the Jasmine Restaurant downtown was attended by 40 people, 15 of them reporters, refused to do interviews. "Oh, you're a reporter," Velázquez told a Q-13 reporter, "I'm not going to talk to you."

"I don't want to declare it a victory," Harrell said from his packed party at the Four Seas in the International District. He said the first thing he wants to do on the council is "let the other members know what I do well to fit into the team." Pushed for specific things he would work on, he said: "I've got a party to get to."