SOMERVILLE--Michael E. Capuano, a small-town mayor who took on political heavyweights, won both the Democratic nomination for the Eighth Congressional District and his place in history last night.

With 81 percent of precincts reporting as of 1 a.m. this morning, Capuano received 24 percent of the vote. His nearest rival, former Boston mayor Raymond L. Flynn, took in 17 percent of the vote.

Former state senator George Bachrach came in third, with 16 percent.

Seven other candidates split the remaining 43 percent.

After concession phone calls by Flynn and Bachrach, Capuano strode to the podium in the Essex Ballroom at the Holiday Inn in Somerville just after 11 p.m.

His first words: "It's goddamned unbelievable,isn't it?"

A roar swept through the crowd of nearly 300strong.

"This election," he continued.

"Is yours," shouted a supporter.

"No," replied Capuano. "It's yours."

"This election proves that beyond a shadow of adoubt, the Eighth Congressional District stillbelongs to the regular working people of America,"he said.

In his concession speech, Flynn congratulatedCapuano on his victory.

"It's pretty obvious that Mike Capuano,excellent campaigner and very, very, wonderfulpolitical leader in the city of Somerville, haddone very well," Flynn said.

Bachrach, also considered a front-runner upuntil the end, used his concession speech toreaffirm support for the liberal values he ran on.

"It doesn't matter if you please everybody,"Bachrach said of his defeat. "It matters that youbelieve in what you're doing."

"I've finished second before and the last timeit happened, it was probably the best thing thathappened to me because I met my wife," he noted.