Bell led Stith by a margin of 58 percentage points to 42 with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

Stith acknowledged at about 8:30 p.m. that "the trend does not look good," but stopped short of conceding.

Bell said he hoped his strong showing would discourage future candidates from running the kinds of attack ads that Stith employed.

"I hope it sends a strong message ... that using those kinds of campaign tactics, the people of Durham do not accept them," Bell said. Stith said he had no regrets about his campaign, which raised and spent more than $150,000.

"It was a hard-hitting campaign," Stith said.

"But we were dealing with serious, sensitive issues that concerned the people of Durham."

Incumbent council members Diane Catotti and Eugene Brown appeared likely to return to the council dais for second terms, earning 25 and 22 percent of the vote, respectively. Newcomer Farad Ali edged David Harris for the remaining council seat.

Closing out the City Council field were conservative challengers Laney Funderburk and Steve Monks.

The mayor's race, fueled by campaign trail sniping and six-figure spending on advertising, drew many voters to the polls.

The decision between the two boiled down to how voters felt about the current state of affairs in Durham on numerous fronts, including crime and government spending. "I think he's doing the best he can given the situation he's in," said Bell voter Nancy Sims, 51, who cited crime as her main issue.

Stith hammered Bell on crime during the campaign, saying he tolerated a level of violence in Durham that he said many Durham residents feel is unacceptable. Lori Ramsey, 41, said crime was at the top of her list of concerns, along with the property tax rate.

The registered Democrat voted for Stith knowing full well of his lifelong affiliation with the Republican Party.

"So this was a big deal for me to vote for Stith," Ramsey said as she loaded her six-month-old son and his safety seat into the car. "I just don't feel Durham is going in a direction I would want to raise my son in."

Ramsey only voted for one person for City Council out of three possibilities, and it was Catotti.

Catotti's strong performance was foreshadowed during the primary, when she was the leading vote-getter. Residents considered four bond initiatives, the largest of which gave the Durham Public Schools $194.2 million to renovate old schools and build or begin two new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new high school. Other major projects included playground upgrades and new roofs at several schools.

The money would also build a freestanding City of Medicine Academy, a small health-sciences high school that for years has been operating out of Southern High School. Another $8.68 million was designated for Durham Technical Community College for the expansion of the school's main campus on Lawson Street, upgrades including a keyless entry system and widening the school's main entrance to improve traffic problems.

The Museum of Life & Science received the go-ahead for $4.18 million in improvements to existing indoor and outdoor exhibits.

City voters also approved a $20 million bond to repave about 100 miles of streets and repair or replace three miles of sidewalks. The bond will also help pave at least half a dozen dirt roads.