Tuesday's primary election was all about choosing candidates who would square off in the fall, but in a few cases victory already is virtually assured.

The most prominent example is in the Pittsburgh mayor's race, where Luke Ravenstahl capitalized on the strength of incumbency and endorsement by the Democratic committee. Democrats who went to the polls showed a strong preference for what he has done and what he intends to do in the future, giving him 59 percent of the votes in a three-way race.

Any time an incumbent faces more than one challenger, the opposition stands to be divided and diluted by the office-holder's advantage. But even the combined votes of city Councilman Patrick Dowd and attorney Carmen Robinson did not come close to topping the mayor's winning tally.

It's already clear that Mr. Ravenstahl's relationship with City Council likely will be different in the next four years with two of his allies -- Jim Motznik and Tonya Payne -- leaving council. Mr. Motznik ran instead, and won, for magisterial district court, and voters nominated a bright, progressive political newcomer in Natalia Rudiak, a Carrick native who would represent her neighborhood and other South Hills communities. Robert Daniel Lavelle, who like Ms. Rudiak also made his first run for office without backing from the Democratic committee, defeated Ms. Payne. Theresa Smith, who won a temporary spot on council in February, easily won the Democratic nomination for a full term. If history repeats itself, the Democratic nominations they received Tuesday will mean three well-prepared, enthusiastic members on council, something that should benefit residents citywide.

Because candidates for school boards and Common Pleas Court judgeships may cross-file, some races are sewn up even more tightly than the city government posts.

For the District 1 seat on the Pittsburgh school board, Sharene Shealey of North Point Breeze, who is ideally prepared, topped two other candidates on the Democratic ballot and was alone on the Republican ticket.

In a 15-way scramble for five seats on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, three qualified candidates won nomination by both parties and, therefore, will be all but impossible to beat -- Susan Evashavik DiLucente, Phil Ignelzi and Arnie Klein. The other two spots on the Democratic side went to Joe Williams, who already sits as a judge, and Don Walko, a veteran legislator deemed not ready for this job by the county bar association. On the Republican ticket, the remaining two nominations went to Alex Bicket, who was highly recommended by the bar, and Michele Zappala Peck, who was not recommended.

On the appellate courts, Judge Joan Orie Melvin won a three-way race for the Republican nomination for state Supreme Court, so she will face Democratic Judge Jack Panella in the fall. Three seats are open on Superior Court, and six Democrats sought the party nomination. Voters chose three excellent nominees in Judge Robert J. Colville, attorney Kevin F. McCarthy and Judge Anne E. Lazarus. There was no race on the Republican ballot, where there were three candidates.

The primary results were not as encouraging for Commonwealth Court, where two judges are to be elected. The highest vote-getter on the Democratic ballot had the worst record when judged by her peers: Attorney Barbara Behrend Ernsberger was rated unqualified by the county bar association and not recommended by the state organization.

The second Democratic win went to attorney Linda S. Judson, while Republicans selected Patricia McCullough and Kevin Brobson. Any way this race goes in the fall, Allegheny County will send at least one new judge to Commonwealth Court.

Let's hope by then that more voters get off their duffs. In Allegheny County only 21 percent of those registered turned out Tuesday. These offices are too powerful to be filled by just a precious few.