Terry Werner stood in the downtown Marz Bar Tuesday night with a crooked, forced smile on his face as a parade of Democrats took turns hugging him and offering condolences.

As election results rolled in on the TV screens above, it was clear that Werner had been knocked off the Lincoln City Council by voters.

"I will survive," Werner said after a well-wisher tried to buck him up. "I'm free now."

He was dressed in a smart navy blue suit punctuated by a bright yellow tie, prompting one supporter to remark that he was unusually spiffy — a departure from the bright T-shirts and blazers he sometimes wears to council meetings.

But it was his unorthodox political style that didn't appear to sit well with voters in Tuesday's general election.

Werner's take on his fifth-place finish: He stood up for controversial issues, took some unpopular stands and paid the price.

"I thought we'd do better," he said. "The candidate whose entire four years has been ‘Go along to get along,' is in first place."

He was referring to the other incumbent, Republican Ken Svoboda, who took home the top prize, with 23,634 votes, or 21 percent of registered voters. Svoboda was followed closely by newcomer Robin Eschliman, with 21,800 votes, for 19 percent. Both Svoboda and Eschliman are Republicans, but Democrat Dan Marvin squeezed into the third seat on the council with 18,819 votes, nearly 17 percent, allowing Democrats to maintain their 4-3 majority on the council.

Republicans Mark Koller and Shawn Traudt finished fourth and sixth, respectively, with 15 percent and 14 percent of the vote.  The six candidates advanced from a field of 20 in the primary election for three at-large City Council seats. Republican Glenn Friendt did not seek re-election.

Werner also attributed his loss to an unprecedented Republican ad campaign against him.

"One hundred thousand dollars (in ads) beating on you and beating on you and beating on you — people begin to believe it," he said.

A bicyclist stopped him the other day and asked why he didn't support the Pledge of Allegiance, an allegation made in a TV ad aired before the election. Republicans criticized him for questioning whether the council should begin its meetings with the pledge after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Svoboda, meanwhile, mingled with dozens of happy Republicans at GOP headquarters, where the mood was more upbeat than at Marz.

"I feel great," Svoboda said. "It was a very hard-fought race and we did everything we could to stay above all the negative advertising."

Aside from the visible GOP ads targeting Werner and Marvin, Svoboda said the Republican Party also worked overtime behind the scenes to get people to vote.

"This is very unlike Republicans to get involved in a race from a standpoint of making the phone calls and walking the precincts," Svoboda said. "This was a very good push by Republicans."

Eschliman said she didn't know what to expect on Election Day, given the close primary results. She finished third in the primary behind Svoboda and Werner.

"I just drove here thinking, ‘Well, if I win, that's great. If I lose, I get my life back,' " she said of her trip to the GOP party.

She said the top three vote-getters all had something in common: "A message of optimism, creative problem-solving and a message of hope."

Marvin digested the election results with mixed emotions.

"I'm obviously happy that I got seated on the council. I'm unhappy that it appears all the negative attacks against Terry certainly had an impact," he said.

While he took his share of GOP bullets he said, "Terry's were massive." He believes they affected the results, given the fact that Werner performed much better in the April primary election — finishing second — before the ad campaign began in earnest.

Werner said he's down, but not out. He'll continue to work on behalf of low-income people, he said, but it's highly unlikely he'll run for political office again.

"I am soured on politics," he said. "It's become about winning and losing and I think that's sad."

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.