MIAMI -- It was billed as a "clash of the titans." Two titans clashed, and in the end, only Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart was left standing -- re-elected to a ninth term in Congress, defeating former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez for Florida's District 21 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

District 21 runs from Hialeah and Kendall into southern Broward County.

Results: U.S. Representative, District 21

The 59-year-old Martinez was the first candidate to seriously challenge Diaz-Balart for the South Florida district.

"It's such a privilege and honor to go back to Washington to serve you with effectiveness and integrity," said Diaz-Balart.

The 21st district campaign was marked by aggressive, often nasty campaign ads, but at his victory party in Miami Tuesday night, Diaz-Balart defended his ads and his campaign.

"Some things that have to be said in campaigns aren't necessarily pleasant, but everything that came out of my campaign was honest," he told Local 10.

Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Richard Pulido offered a different perspective.

“Any time voters are asked to make decisions, not based substance and not based on how their lives would impprove, but based on mud slinging and personal attacks, I think it really takes away from the democratic process,” he said.

Martinez agreed. “I saw it today when I walked precincts, predominantly white Anglos, I saw it in their faces. It had to take a toll," he said.

Diaz-Balart promised to focus on jobs upon his return to Washington, and to keep a firm focus on Cuba.

Martinez, who had favored rescinding the Bush administration's restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, told Local 10 he had no regrets.

"Here's a guy that came to this country with nothing, not speaking the language," he said. "To be able to compete with one of the highest office in the United States, that's a win."

Martinez said he is looking ahead to the future and has no future political ambitions.

“I think this community has begun a process of getting into the mainstream of the United States of America, which is what we all are," he said.