TORY Myles Hogg failed in his efforts to unseat Labour's long-standing MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, Andrew Miller.
But Mr Hogg did manage to cut his Labour opponent's majority from 10,861 to 6,486 in Thursday's General Election.
Mr Miller received a total of 20,371 votes, giving him 48% of the ballots cast in the borough.
Mr Hogg, also a borough councillor, received 13,885 while the Lib Dems' Stephen Michael Cooke got 6,607 and Henry Crocker, of UKIP, polled 1,206.
The votes, which were counted in Ellesmere Port Civic Hall, showed a turnout of 61.89%, with the winner announced at 2.50am.
A total of 171 spoilt ballot papers - which included 137 unmarked and 30 with more than one vote on - were also recorded.
Mr Miller first won the borough seat in 1992, making this his 13th consecutive year representing the region.
Flanked by his wife Fran and daughter Joanne, he thanked all those who'd supported him, and his opponents for a 'clean and fair' fight.
And, as the General Election results came in showing Prime Minister Tony Blair's Government winning an historic third term, albeit with a reduced majority, Mr Miller said: 'Labour has come back with a resounding victory to take Mr Blair back to Downing Street.
'The people of Ellesmere Port and Neston have also shown where their loyalties lie.'
Mr Hogg was clearly delighted to have made such an impact into Mr Miller's majority. He said it had been a hectic last 14 months of campaigning working towards Thursday's poll.
Mr Hogg joked Mr Miller's previous Tory opponents had all moved away from the area after their election defeats, adding: 'Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here to fight the Conservative cause.'
Mr Cooke said by putting ideologies before personalities, unlike the national election campaign between Mr Blair and Tory leader Michael Howard, the four local candidates had a clean and successful fight.
