State Rep. David Argall overcame a blizzard of negative ads in recent weeks, then a real snowstorm Monday, to win the late James J. Rhoades' seat in the state Senate on Tuesday.

Argall declared victory at 10:45 p.m. to a cheering crowd at his campaign headquarters in Tamaqua.

''I just wish that Jim Rhoades was here to see this,'' Argall said. ''He was a friend for a very long time.'' Flanked by his family, he hugged his mother and asked supporters to ''please keep Jim and his whole family in your prayers, because they've been through a terrible ordeal.''

Argall noted to cheers of ''Sen-a-tor, sen-a-tor,'' that he won every county in the district -- ''from Tower City to Camelback Mountain. I couldn't ask for more than that.''

Final but unofficial tallies gave Argall 20,786 votes to Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts Stephen M. Lukach Jr.'s 12,551.