Flynn's Watertown headquarters, located next to a sit-down diner and local barbershop, reflected his roots in the community.

Although the main room was decked with Ray Flynn posters, a tucked-away staircase lead to the American Eagle's Lodge, a classic Boston bar.

"He's the poor-man's Lech Walesa. He's the essence of what a Democrat should be," said John J. Curran, a longterm Watertown resident who proclaimed himself as a "blue-collar Democrat."

"He has a track record. He knows the urban and national situation," Curran said.

Donahue also emphasized that not all the communities of the Eighth District are prospering from the nation's economic strength.

"Ray is much more focused on economic justice. A majority of people who are working class folks haven't prospered from this so-called economic boom," he said.

Campaign volunteers for Bachrach also touted his experience and his moral turpitude to take stands on his beliefs.

Bachrach, who earlier in the campaign proclaimed himself an "unrepentant, unabashed and unreconstructed liberal," was hoping to ride to victory on his strength in Boston's northern suburbs.

Bachrach focused on improving education by reducing class size and increasing early education programs along with trying to gain universal access to health care.

Bachrach was trying to place himself as "the progressive alternative to Mike Capuano and Ray Flynn," said Anson E. Kaye, Bachrach's communication director.

"He's stayed true to his beliefs whether popular or not, and he'll fight for progressive values," Kaye said.

The mood was upbeat at Bachrach's festive Cambridge campaign headquarters Tuesday night. In a well-lit room dominated by a food buffet, a jazz band and campaign volunteers milling around anxiously, there was plenty of good cheer.

But in the end, the candidate who proclaimed himself "an unrepentant, unabashed, unreconstructed liberal" and the "grass-roots" Boston man could not overcome the Somerville mayor's coalition.

As the results poured in, and it becmae clear that Capuano was the winner, it also became clear that district voters had left behind two candidates and two roads untraveled.