Early results for the Lincoln City Council race show Paul Joiner, Tom Cosgrove and Spencer Short in the lead, with more than half the votes counted.

Stan Nader and Allen Cuenca trail, as there are only three seats available for the five candidates.

Short and Cosgrove are both veteran council members and were endorsed by Mayor Primo Santini, who did not seek another term.

“I feel like I’ve run a good campaign,” Short said at his party an hour before the results came in. “I’ve got a great record, and I’m happy with where the city is.”

Short said he was confident, and that confidence appears to be well-founded.

“Obviously I hope I win,” Cosgrove said, waiting to hear the outcome. “I guess I’ve got the typical anxiety for the results, even though I’ve been through it a few times.”

Cosgrove said that when he went to vote earlier in the day, he was happy to see how crowded the polls were, and said it’s “a real good thing for the community.”

Joiner had not planned any gatherings for election night, and he said he planned on taking the time to take down his signs as he waited for the news to come in. Nader was planning to stay at home to wait for the results.

As he waited for the results, Cuenca just wanted it to be over. He didn’t make any predictions, saying he had heard some people wanted change, but others were happy with where the city is headed.

“I endorsed Tom Cosgrove and Spencer Short. Obviously, I hope they win. The citizens had some good choices, and it was a well-spirited campaign,” Santini said.

The citizens had ample opportunity to learn where each candidate stood, as the campaign involved no less than four community forums, and each man made every attempt to connect with voters.

The issues discussed most throughout the campaign were how to keep the historic downtown from becoming a ghost town when the bypass is completed in 2012, how to make the city more appealing to businesses, what to do regarding recycling and the way the city’s finances will be managed as the country heads into a recession.

The amount of money in each campaign’s coffers did not dictate the election’s results, with Nader topping the charts with more than $50,000, more than the next two candidates combined, and Cuenca collecting slightly more than $3,000. Cosgrove, Joiner and Short all fell within the $15,000-$25,000 range.

Most voters questioned leaving the polls were more passionate about the state propositions, in particular Prop. 8, but the fight for the city council seats drew a fair amount of interest before the election.

Each candidate has ties to the city, with Short and Cosgrove both already serving on the council and using their experience and knowledge to help secure their victories.

Joiner grew up in the area, and his family has deep roots in the community.

Cuenca has the least amount of time in the community, having moved to Lincoln seven years ago, but he quickly got involved and hoped his role as a planning commissioner and his appeal to families like his would help him secure one of the seats.

Nader’s former service on the City Council, which ended with a recall in 1994, was a focal point for his opposition. The recall came after he voted with two other council members to initiate a 5 percent utility tax in lieu of losing six police officers when the city faced an unexpected financial crisis. The three council members and the mayor were ousted. Valuing preserving public safety, Nader said he still stands by his decision, as 10 police officers had to be laid off when the new council repealed the tax.

Check back online and in the print edition, which will be available on Thursday, for further election results.