The Robinson commissioners apparently will stay under Democratic control, although an upset had appeared to be in the offing until the early-morning hours yesterday.

With 99 percent of the precincts counted, unofficial election results Tuesday night showed Republican Jerry Brouker with a 66-vote edge over Democrat Ron Shiwarski. Republicans Stephanie Triko-Selelyo and Jesse Forquer appeared to have the other two seats sewn up, with Democrats Earl Mapel and Steve Rozman trailing the pack.

It appeared that Mr. Brouker and Ms. Triko-Selelyo -- an embattled minority twosome on the board for the past four years -- finally would get a chance to lead and to attempt some of reforms they had long been touting.

But the final 1 percent of results proved to be significant. By yesterday morning, Mr. Shiwarski was 64 votes ahead of Mr. Brouker and had passed Mr. Forquer as well.

"It had to be the absentee ballots," Mr. Brouker said. He said 255 were cast in the township, and that Democratic organizers have long experience in getting those votes.

Some of those votes may be challenged. Mr. Brouker said there were reports that observers at three polling places were not allowed to watch as absentee ballots were delivered. The dispute involves 80 ballots, potentially enough to change the outcome.

It's a long shot, however.

"For the moment, I'm tearing my signs down and moving on," Mr. Brouker said. He said he is leaving the decision on a ballot challenge to the county Republican Committee.

Ms. Triko-Selelyo, who garnered the most votes of any candidate, sounded more disappointed than Mr. Brouker.

"Last night, there were all these emotions, all these thoughts of the things we could do and achieve," she said. "Now it's more of the same."

Mr. Shiwarski saw it a little differently.

"I consider myself somewhat of an independent Democrat, and Jess [Forquer] was running as a sort of independent Republican. I think having two independent voices is conducive to creating a level of transparency in government."

Mr. Shiwarski, who has been a swing vote on a number of contentious issues, said his interest is in removing the politics from the process and running the township like a business, "so people can look up there and not know whether you're red or you're blue."

Mr. Forquer, a political newcomer, credited his fiercely independent stance and his focus on specific issues for his victory.

"I did not want to campaign with the other Republicans because I knew they were going to want to talk about a bunch of issues in an abbreviated way," Mr. Forquer said.

He instead wrote an extensive letter going into detail on a few issues. His primary criticism has been with the township bookkeeping and financial practices.

Mr. Forquer said the township is chronically late with financial reports and can't get audits done on time, and he believes the accounts of former treasurer Frank Murgia have never been properly investigated.

He said, however, that he is looking forward to working with Mr. Shiwarski and Democratic incumbents Dan Tallon and Sam Abatta and hopes to bring his business acumen to bear on the township's finances.

"I have gotten the message from them that we will work together to work these things out," he said.

The election disappointment was the second in a row for the Republicans, who broke the Democratic stranglehold in 2005 only to lose their majority again three months into 2006 when Republican board chairman Charles Marks died and the township vacancy board named Mr. Abatta to take his place.

Mr. Abatta and Mr. Tallon were re-elected in 2007, and Mr. Shiwarski beat Mr. Forquer and Republican Michael Vennum that year.

"We have to prove our worth here in the future," Mr. Forquer said, "and maybe we can win a majority two years from now."

Mr. Brouker said that despite his loss, he believes a Republican movement is afoot in the township. "I was just the first one in there, and the first one takes the most hits to the head," he said.

"Ten years from now, if we're beating them regularly, it will all have been worth it."

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