After decades of Republican rule in Delaware County, local Democrats have learned to celebrate the smaller victories, such as winning control in the tiniest of boroughs: Millbourne, population 908.
And while yesterday was the usual shutout at the county level, with Republicans handily defeating Democratic candidates for the county council, Democrats finally took a jewel from the GOP crown: Radnor Township.
Once a Main Line Republican stronghold, the township of about 30,000 has been trending Democratic for at least a decade. Last year, Democratic registrations edged Republicans for the first time, and this week, two more Democrats were elected to the Board of Commissioners, giving the party a 4-3 majority.
"I think it was probably just a matter of time," said Tony Campisi, vice chairman of the county Democratic Party. "We've always been able to raise money from Radnor and other affluent areas, typically for congressional races, judicial races. . . . I'm sure that winning it at the local level will help that."
Democrats Elaine Paul Schaefer and John Nagle did not face Republican incumbents in their races.
Two Republicans who ran unopposed also were elected to the board: Donald Curley and Kevin Higgins.
Countywide turnout was low Tuesday, except in areas with hotly contested municipal races. Democrats averaged only 20 percent turnout countywide. And while Republicans managed higher turnout in some areas, Radnor wasn't one.
"We had good candidates up there, but they just didn't get the right vote out," said Thomas J. Judge Sr., chairman of the Delaware County GOP. "We're going to certainly look around and see what our weakness is."
Another bright light for Democrats on an otherwise disappointing night: Democrats broke the Republican hold in Chester City, electing two Democratic city council members. Republicans have held the council and mayorship since 1991 in a Democratic city.
Still, Democrats have a ways to go to catch up with GOP, which has held a lock on county offices for three decades and still holds the vast majority of municipalities.
Democrats suffered some municipal defeats Tuesday, losing control of Marple, Norwood and Ridley Park, areas where the party had only recently made headway. Incumbent Democrats lost races in Haverford and Nether Providence.
In Newtown, Commissioner John S. DiPompeo, who switched his party affiliation to Democrat from Republican this year, was defeated by a Republican challenger.
Despite registration advances, Democrats are still struggling to convert. Party leaders blame turnout.
"That was entirely the problem," Campisi said. "You don't win elections when you're only getting 20 percent of your voters out."
Elsewhere in the suburbs, Republicans emerged on top, with Democrats breaking through in some areas.
"It was just one of those elections," said Marcel Groen, Montgomery County's Democratic chair. "A lot of places, Democrats didn't do well."
In Montgomery County, Republicans held off Democratic efforts to take over local government in the bellwether suburb of Abington, where voters' choices of mostly Democrats in state and national elections have almost entirely reflected state voters' picks.
"The Democrats put on a hot push in that one, but we held on," said Montgomery County Republican Chairman Robert Kerns.
In Lansdale, Mayor Andy Szekely, a Republican, withstood a challenge from Democratic candidate Ben Gross, who had beaten Szekely in a sumo-wrestling contest in September to promote the election.
Democrats captured township government control in Plymouth for the first time, winning two of three council elections.
In Bucks County, Republicans prevailed over Democrats in most elections, with a few exceptions. In Doylestown, the Democratic mayor won re-election, and Democrats also won five of six available council seats; they now hold an 8-1 majority on the borough council.
In Newtown Borough, Democrats picked up one council seat and now hold a majority.
And in a contest between two 26-year-old candidates in Downingtown, Chester County, Democrat Josh Maxwell won the race for mayor by a narrow margin over Republican Nick Winkler.
Contact staff writer Joelle Farrell at 610-627-0352 or jfarrell@phillynews.com
Staff writers Derrick Nunnally and Larry King contributed to this article.
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