Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani high-fives a teenage campaign worker Tuesday night upon arriving at her victory party. Giunchigliani trounced Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams, who was seeking a fourth term. Photos by K.M. Cannon. County Commissioner Myrna Williams speaks to Richard Williams, a member of the carpenters union, on Tuesday evening while awaiting election results. The union was one of the commissioner's strongest supporters during the heated primary.

Democratic voters ousted three-term Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams in favor of challenger Chris Giunchigliani on Tuesday, delivering a decisive end to the primary election's ugliest contest.

Giunchigliani trounced the incumbent, garnering 50 percent of the Democratic vote in District E compared with Williams' 37 percent.

The commissioner blamed her defeat on Giunchigliani attacks that linked Williams to the political corruption investigation that led to criminal convictions of four commissioners she once served beside.

Even though Williams was never accused of wrongdoing by authorities, Giunchigliani attacked her for "looking the other way" as other commissioners were trading their influence for bribe money.

Williams said late Tuesday that Giunchigliani effectively tainted her among the electorate.

"Basically, what did it was the idea I am corrupt," a melancholy Williams said as supporters were leaving her campaign headquarters.

The 76-year-old said Tuesday's defeat marks the beginning of the end of her lengthy political career. Williams said that after serving the remainder of her term, she will dedicate her time to community service outside of public office.

Giunchigliani's headquarters, her mother's home near downtown, crackled with a festive atmosphere as soon as early voting totals were released showing her with a 13-point lead over Williams.

Asked what had pushed her ahead of Williams, Giunchigliani replied "hard work." But in elaborating, she didn't back off indirectly linking her opponent to former Commissioners Erin Kenny, Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, Dario Herrera and Lance Malone, who are all facing prison terms for misdeeds.

"In the long run, I represented a fresh voice, a new way of doing business and not the status quo," Giunchigliani said. "People don't want crime and corruption."

Celebrating alongside the eight-term state legislator Tuesday night were Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Wolfson; his wife, District Judge Jackie Glass; and County Commissioner Tom Collins.

At Williams' headquarters, the buzz of the crowd turned silent when initial returns showed the commissioner down significantly.

Her Democratic commission colleagues Rory Reid and Yvonne Atkinson Gates were there offering support, as was Republican Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald.

Williams, who engaged in the same brand of negative campaigning as her opponent, said she did not believe her legacy is tarnished by a final race dominated by mudslinging.

"My legacy will be community centers, parks and a health clinic which serves 1,500 people," she said.

A third Democratic candidate, UNLV student Priscilla Marie Flores, captured 13 percent of the vote.

Political observers have said Giunchigliani's primary victory all but guarantees she will capture the District E seat in the November general election. Giunchigliani will face Republican Joe Thibodeau and Independent American Itzhak "Isaac" Shoham in the general election.

No well-known Republican opponent is in the race, and the district votes heavily Democratic.

Giunchigliani's advancement brings an end to what the candidates acknowledged was the ugliest primary contest in the state.

No other race saw as much mudslinging and name-calling, all the more surprising considering it pitted against each other candidates who, if not friends, have been at least allies as two of the local Democratic Party's most liberal stalwarts over the past 15 years.

The two served together in the state Assembly in the early '90s, have attended Democratic functions at each other's homes and have in the past shared the same campaign consultant in Giunchigliani's husband.

With similar voting records and nearly identical stands on many issues, Giunchigliani faced a struggle in giving voters a reason to oust her opponent.

The 51-year-old Giunchigliani focused on depicting herself as a more aggressive and energetic politician than Williams. She also attacked Williams in a political flier as the only candidate in the race who had been "investigated" for corruption by the FBI.

Political observers called the allegation unfair because Williams was never indicted or accused of wrongdoing, only interviewed by federal agents for 20 minutes as part of their investigation of the other commissioners.