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	R.T. Rybak celebrates his victory in the primary election Tuesday night. He'll face incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton in the race for mayor. Listen to his comments. (MPR Photo/Dan Olson)

Rybak's campaign focused on what he calls a need for a change in leadership in City Hall. The DFLer praised his supporters saying the task seemed daunting when he and his campaign managers first decided to enter the race.

"These three clowns sitting around saying, 'Hey let's go elect a mayor.' The odds were ridiculous. We were taking on an incumbent mayor, an entrenched City Council member, a county commissioner and we really began to say the only way we can do this is somehow, miraculously, some night there's a room like this. Well the room is here," Rybak said.

McDonald and Stenglein have a combined 34 percent of the vote that Rybak and Sayles Belton will try to capture between now and November.

	Sharon Sayles Belton reacts to her finish - second - in Tuesday's primary. The result catapults her to the final election in November. Listen to her comments. (MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

Mayor Sayles Belton delivered an energetic and defiant address to supporters gathered in the Richard Green School in the ward she represented as a councilmember. She expressed no disappointment in the vote that leaves her with a battle to come out on top in November.

"We have a challenge out there that we must be up to the task for. I am up to the task. We will get this done. We will have victory in the city of Minneapolis and we will all be proud to call it home," she said.

	Minneapolis City Council member Lisa McDonald acknowledges her defeat in a speech to supporters. Listen to her comments. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

The primary election creates and uncertain future for Lisa McDonald, who gave up her 10th Ward City Council seat to run for mayor.

"I'm disappointed by the outcome, but the voters have spoken and it's time to move on," McDonald said. "Those who know me know that I just move on to the next thing and that's what I'll do after tonight."

McDonald, also a DFLer, told supporters losing an election seems inconsequential compared to the rest of the day's immense tragedy. All of the candidates remarked on the shock and grief of the terrorist acts that dominated the news and was no doubt a preoccupation as voters headed to the polls.

Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein came in fourth place with 16 percent of the vote. He says he was happy to at least make an impact.

"It's clearly disappointing. In light of today's tragedy in New York City it's hard to concentrate on municipal elections. We ran a spirited campaign. I think we definitely changed the tenor of the debate. We got the people talking about getting back to basics and cleaning up the city and not writing off any neighborhoods," Stenglein said.

	In the basement of his home, Mark Stenglein watches the Web for results of his mayoral bid. He finished fourth.Listen to his comments. (MPR Photo/Brandt Williams)

Voter turnout was higher than the previous two primary elections. Almost 60,000, more than 27 percent of those registered went to the polls.

Election judge Terriel Coker said one woman told him the East Coast attacks inspired her to vote.

"Life must go on," he said. "It's important that we go on with affairs."

But Coker's mother, Juanita Connelly, said she wouldn't have minded if the election was canceled. She didn't want to leave her house alone to vote in the Minneapolis primary.

"My son had to come to get me because I was scared," said Connelly, 61.