Lost in the hub-bub of the midterm elections was a quiet revolution here in Dallas County.

And the changes here are likely to be more lasting than the ones that occurred in the U.S. House and Senate.

Dallas County is now a Democratic county, but it happened a little faster than everyone thought it would.

It definitely caught Dallas County Republicans off guard, who had all of their candidates swept out of office – including respected judge Margaret Keliher.

Ed Board is excited to see Dallas County has turned blue.

After two decades of Republican domination it is important for new people to have a voice in county government.

New district attorney Craig Watkins has a chance to prove the naysayers wrong and bring a new perspective to the DA’s office. Too often people become set in their ways and are resistant to change. That is occurring right now – with attorneys telling the media that it would be best if Watkins did not shake things up in the office.

That is the wrong attitude.

The voters of Dallas County, for better or worse, wanted change. To maintain the status quo would be a disservice to everyone.

Democrats also need to be prepared for Republicans to be energized and more organized than they were this election cycle.

A combination of voter apathy and the national tide against the GOP depressed the turnout for Dallas County Republicans. Democrats can’t count on such an environment in 2008.

That said, all of the candidates who got swept into office do have something to prove to the voters.

There is already criticism that many unqualified candidates are taking over. They can easily dismiss the criticism by doing quality work.

Democrats have waited for a long time to set the agenda. We hope they can govern responsibly and make Dallas County an example for the rest of Texas.