Centracchio entered the race late, never ran TV ads and spent about a fourth of what King did. But high name recognition gained after a decade of leading the Rhode Island National Guard helped carry him to victory.

King spent nearly $342,000 on the race -- $250,000 of his own money -- and in the final weeks went increasingly negative. He attacked Centracchio's oversight of the state's emergency preparedness.

Centracchio spent only $85,000 and responded that King "broke his word" to stay positive in the campaign.

Ronald Therrien, of West Warwick, is one of those voters turned off by King's ads.

"This dragging through the mud stuff . . . that doesn't win me at all," he said after meeting Centracchio at a poll yesterday.

"If he cares about the troops, then I think he'll care about his constituents," said Therrien, an Army veteran.

King announced in January and immediately got the support of the state's Republican leaders -- support which waned after Centracchio declared his candidacy in June.

King lived outside Rhode Island for decades and was immediately pegged as a carpetbagger. He didn't try to sell his talents but instead painted Rhode Island as a corrupt place only he could clean up.

The Democratic primary was almost non-existent. Roberts, who spent 10 years in the state Senate working mostly on health-care issues, criss-crossed the state, hitting senior centers, small businesses and community health-care centers.

Dickinson campaigned mostly through TV ads.

Roberts spent $336,000. Dickinson loaned his campaign $190,000 and spent about $126,000.

"Clearly I campaigned very hard," Roberts said last night. "Today really showed that Rhode Island and Rhode Island Democrats, particularly, appreciate the strength that I bring, which is a capable leader with compassion for the issues people face."

smayerow@projo.com / (401) 277-7513