John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 9:27 p.m.: Littlefield starts with a prayer from his pastor, the Reverend Frank Ramfeur. Littlefield had started the day with a prayer, and wants to end the day with one. The pastor alludes to the story of David and Goliath. "We know the results of that one," he says. He says that God has chosen a man "after his own heart." After the prayer is concluded, the crowd goes wild.

Littllefield states to the crowd that "Ann has called and we have won." He says, "I wished her well" and that he wants this city to be "a greater city." He thanks Dan Johnson and his wife, "I want to thank Dan Johnson. It's not my victory. it's our victory."

He says, "12 years ago, I was in the same spot as Ann Coulter and had to concede. But not this time."

The crowd goes crazy. They throw confetti into the air: tiny square-inch portraits of Ron, cut out of his campaign brochures.

Littlefield says he can't call everybody up to the podium that he'd like to thank who is in attendance going back to 1987, but wants to thank Dale Mabee.

He goes on. "The next four years will be a great responsibility, will require great humility. Dan Johnson has been my friend through this run-off and will be after." His wife kisses him. The crowd goes nuts.

He's asked if the city can be unified. He says that it can and that he's seen worse fights than this one.

"This is one city," he says. He has one goal and one responsibilty for the city, and that is to bring jobs to Chattanooga. He says that soon after he's sworn in, he'll "get on a plane" to bring jobs to Chattanooga, and that manufacturing jobs are already on their way.

He's asked why big dollars don't win elections. He says, "They usually do, but not this time."

He says Coulter has great ideas--especially for someone who is not a "veteran politician."

He says he'll "embrace" the 21st Century Waterfront Plan.

He says that he had a feeling this morning that it would be a big win.

At one point, the phone rings. "It's for the mayor," the staffer yells.

The place goes nuts.

Ron Littlefield is our next mayor.

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 9:26 p.m.: Ann Coulter enters the Roosevelt Room to give her concession speech. The crowd breaks into loud applause, which recedes into a rhythmic clap as she moves across the room, hugging staff members one by one. She has been crying. Many of the people she hugs are crying too.

"Thanks for that reception," she says when she finally reaches the podium. "That's exactly what I needed after sitting in a room with some folks, watching these results. I needed to see all of you here."

She says that she has just called Ron Littlefield to congratulate him on his victory. "We have a new mayor," she says. "I remain incredibly encouraged about what we can do as a city... This was a fantastic race. We did it the right way. You did it the right way."

Coulter thanks her campaign managers, old friends and family, breaking down several times. "Finally, I want to thank my father and mother -- she's been gone for a few years now -- for telling me when I was a little girl that I could be anything I wanted to be. This city can still be anything it wants to be. I think that's a good lesson to finish tonight with."

As she walks off the stage, the rhythmic clapping starts again. But it fades in a few seconds, leaving only a dull hum.

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 9:03 p.m.: Even as the late-arriving Coulter supporters walk in the Roosevelt Room doors, an equal number of people are streaming out. The mumbles of fear are turning into the louder sound of complaining:

"I gotta go drink."

"He was a goofball then, and now."

The music has been turned off. In the bar, one woman hugs her friends goodbye for the night. "You all know a whole lot more about this than I do," she says, "but I never saw it coming." Outside, a Coulter campaign associate is sneaking a cigarette when a thought hits her: "We've gotta find her a job."

John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 8:52 p.m. Zack and Derek will introduce their dad as the new mayor. A supporter says Littlefield won because "he's a hard worker and everybody followed him that way." Darrell McDonald says Coulter lost due to "arrogance and high-powered donors" and that Jon Kinsey and Bob Corker never paid any respect to former mayors, which he says Littlefield will do. His wife says Littlefield is "going to take us in many directions." TV and radio correspondents have poured in. The room is very loud.

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 8:40 p.m.: Eighty-seven percent of precincts are in, and Littlefield still holds a sizable lead. "That ain't good," a tall man in a baseball cap declares. Another man, on the other end of the room, agrees. "This is bad," he says. "This is really bad."

Adam Green is undeterred. "First we saw the absentee ballots, which mostly come from nursing homes, which Ron Littlefield hit substantially. Then we're seeing absentee votes and the tiny precincts. It all comes down to the larger precincts, and they're still trickling in."

That isn't the sense in the rest of the room. "Well, that's it," someone says. "This sucks," another man adds.

John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 8:38 p.m.: All in attendance feel it's clinched. The margin is too big for Coulter to overcome. "It's a winner," says Dan Johnson, though he says he expected it to be a lot closer. The crowd passionately sings "Money Can't Buy Everything."

John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 8:33 p.m.: The bigwigs in attendance are calling it for Littlefield. Dan Johnson agrees. Leamon Pierce comments, "We'll never get a black or hispanic mayor until we break the power structure with someone like Ron Littlefield."

John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 8:20 p.m.: Ron's sons Zack and Derek are in attendance. Zack, who plays over 250 shows each year with his band, says his father "loves the city more than he likes politics." Zack is ready for the whole thing to be over. Derek disagrees, saying, "Politics is the name of the game." After the first numbers are shown, showing Littlefield in the lead, massive cheers are heard and people walk up to him and call him 'mayor.' The place is getting more crowded and more loud.

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 8:15 p.m.: The first numbers appear on the big screen, just as the strains of "Play That Funky Music, White Boy" begin. The mood is instantly funereal, no one talking: Ron Littlefield is holding 59.46 percent of early totals. Adam Green hustles about the room, trying to stem a panic before it starts. "These are the absentee ballots," he says. "Then we'll see the early voting, then we'll see the precincts."

One woman in black go-go boots looks unconvinced. "I don't like this," she moans. "It's okay," Green says. "It's okay."

Green's word spreads. "It's just the absentee ballots," a tall woman sporting a ubiquitous Coulter sticker tells her friends. "All the losers are out of town."

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 7:58 p.m.: "It's going to be a long night," murmers a hotel worker in the Choo-Choo bar. The Roosevelt Room, empty 30 minutes before, is now packed with about a hundred people. Adam Green still thinks they won't be disappointed. "I've heard from long-time observers in politics that we have the numbers to win -- but it may be as close as 51 percent to 49 percent, or 52 percent to 48 percent."

The music starts piping in: the cheering strains of U2's "Beautiful Day." Bill Matthews, a middle-aged man standing in a corner by the fruit table, isn't dancing. He munches on honeydew, drinks cofffe, and doesn't want to talk.

"Will Coulter win?" I ask him.

"Yes."

Why?

"I think it's obvious."

We share an awkward pause.

"I'm couching my answers, you can tell," he finally says.

John Bailes, Hughes Supply Building, 7:44 p.m.: I am at the Littlefield headquarters in the Hughes Supply building 11th Street. Besides the excitement concerning the election results, the room is filled with huddles of supporters awaiting Ron Littlefield's entrance. Michelle Michaud, campaign media relations manager (a position she embraced as a volunteer), has been very helpful. Lanis Littlefield, in a gorgeous red pant suit, greets newcomers near the center of the lobby of Hughes. But what is most extraordinary is the figure of a black mother and child, Terry Thompson and Tiffany Heywood. Terry is a homeless mom who is right now holding her sleeping daughter.

I spoke with Monica Smoot who aided Ms. Thompson earlier in the day after a Litttlefield supporter identified the homeless mother. Ms. Smoot, a longterm Littlefield supporter and volunteer, says of Ms. Thompson: "Terry is here because she needs help; when you need help, you help people."

Monica adds, "Another supporter, Ella Bryant, contacted me. Ron decided to contribute to Terry and Tiffany's housing, which goes to show that Ron supports the neighborhoods, families, children--whether wealthy or homeless."

Near me, as I finish this blog, is Dan Johnson talking about the importance of the evening and whether the message got out or not. Otherwise the lobby crowds with supporters who look very satisfied. 

Aaron Mesh, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 7:34 p.m.: The Roosevelt Room is again bedecked in patriotic balloons, "Now is the Time" banners and a table spread with cheese and fruit, but Ann Coulter campaign worker Adam Green says there will be at least one difference from March 1: "We got some better music this time." Green is struggling to adjust the image of the Tennessee Depertment of Elections Web site being projected onto a large black screen; after 15 minutes of moving the projector around a table, he gets a clean, even image. He's certain that the results will go more smoothly for Coulter. "I'm very confident we're gonna win," he says. "It's going to be close, but I'm pretty confident."

He's so confident that he's already spinning the still-unseen numbers. "People are gonna say that she only won by a little bit but, in the end, this is someone who had no name recognition five months ago, running against a man who had 20 years in politics. People talk about how much money she spent, but she had to spend money to get her name out there." A man sits down next to the projector and pours himself a Miller Light. "Here's our motto for tonight," he declares. "We think it's gonna be a girl."