There were a few upsets in municipal races in Allegheny County last night, but the balance of power on a number of boards of commissioners and borough councils remained mostly unchanged.

Carnegie

The face of Carnegie Council will change in January, but its makeup of four Democrats and two Republicans will remain the same.

Newcomers Susan Demko and Michael Sarsfield, both Democrats, were the top vote-getters in the 1st Ward. Incumbent Dorothy Kelly, a Republican, appeared to retain her seat in the 2nd Ward despite an aggressive campaign by her Democratic opponent, Emmett Freshwater.

Mrs. Demko and Mr. Sarsfield will replace two other veteran council Democrats, Larry Harkovich and Tom Snyder, who did not seek re-election. The race for borough tax collector was close, with Democrat Karen Welsh besting Republican Peg Bowman.

Forest Hills

Sister Mathias Wemm, who won a write-in Republican nomination in May's primary, lost her bid to secure a seat on council.

Democrats Steve Karas and incumbent Marty O'Malley won four-year council terms while Democrat Charles Kannair lost his bid for a council seat.

And Republican Faith Katchmar, who in January led a citizens' group in demanding that council buy the 11-member police department another stun gun and folding body shield, secured a four-year seat on council.

Penn Hills

Penn Hills Mayor Anthony DeLuca easily won re-election over Republican challenger James McCollum, and council will have two Democratic newcomers, Joseph Palumbo and Gary Underwood.

The council winners defeated Republicans Joseph O'Connor and Heather Hoolahan. Mr. Palumbo and Mr. Underwood will replace council members Yvonne Lamanna, who was defeated in the primary election, and Debbie Costa, who did not seek re-election.

Peters

Republican incumbent Councilman Robert Lewis, 62, and retired GOP Councilman Robert Atkison, 75, won easily in the race for two at-large council seats over challenger Gary Stiegel Jr., 27, a volunteer firefighter and chemical engineer.

Mr. Stiegel had questioned the conservative credentials of the GOP members following their attempt this summer to ban guns from most township properties.

Republican challenger Monica Merrell held a small lead over the only current Democratic council member, Patricia Moore, in the race for an open seat in the B-1 district.

Plum

Plum Council President Charles McMeekin apparently squeaked to victory to retain his seat, but another Republican incumbent, Donald Flickinger, was headed to defeat.

Mr. McMeekin held a slight lead over Democrat Mark E. Salvas in unofficial returns. Two other Democrats, Steven Taylor and Christine Scardina-Gazzo, led the balloting and won seats. Ms. Scardina-Gazzo will be the first female member of council in many years.

Republican newcomer Leonard Szarmach also was defeated.

Robinson

A Republican attempt to repeat the upset of 2005 looked like it was falling just short last night, with Democrats winning two of the three available commissioners' seats and holding a razor-thin lead for the third.

Two-term commissioner Dan Tallon and incumbent Sam Abatta beat out challengers Jesse Forquer and Mary Pavilonis for four-year seats. In the battle for the two-year seat, though, Democrat Ron Shiwarski led Republican Michael Vennum by a handful of votes, making the race too close to call. Both men are political newcomers; Mr. Vennum is a lawyer and Mr. Shiwarski manages a car dealership.

Ross

Republican and Democratic incumbents won re-election in races for Ross commissioner. Grant Montgomery, a Republican was outpolling Democrat Charles Spatafore in a contest to represent Ward 9.

Democrat Daniel Kinross defeated Republican Melissa Kerkan in a race to represent Ward 3, which takes in neighborhoods between Babcock Boulevard and Rochester Road, north of West View.

Washington

A shakeup in the city of Washington's council race was brewing last night as newcomers Tom Blackhurst, a Democrat, and Terry L. Faust, a Republican, maintained a growing lead for two open council seats over the other Republican challenger, Aaron Sworden, and 20-year incumbent Democratic councilman Robert Nicolella.

A retired firefighter, Mr. Blackhurst, 48, has been critical of city council for understaffing the fire department. Local restaurateur Mr. Nicolella, 81, said he would strive for more equality among city departments facing layoffs.

Meanwhile, small business owners Mr. Sworden, 29, and Mr. Faust, 53, expressed concern over infighting among the five-member council.

Wilkins

Sharyn A. Fialla, who lost her Democratic Party primary challenge to fellow incumbent Sylvia J. Martinelli in May's election, and switched to run on a Republican ticket in Tuesday's general election, knocked off the township's board president.

Ms. Fialla, 53, a longtime Wilkins resident who said during the primary campaign that she was tired of being outvoted 4-1 on township issues, left her at-large position to take on Mrs. Martinelli, 62, in the township's 1st Ward.

Mike Szoko, 46, a Republican and outspoken critic of Wilkins officials, secured an at-large seat on the board and Paul G. Padula, 50, a facilities manager at PNC Bank, was re-elected to a third term as an at-large member of the board.