We applaud more discerning voters

There were predictions of a Democratic tsunami. Of record voter turnout. There were calls to toss every incumbent out. There was anger and frustration over our economic meltdown, our chronic state of corruption in Illinois, our stalemate at the Capitol in Springfield.

The frustration surely was real, but the tsunami, the turnout, the tossing never materialized.

And maybe, mostly, that's a good thing.

Democrats did well nationally and locally, but they did not gain complete control or even supermajority status.

Led by House Speaker Michael Madigan, Democrats fell one seat short of a supermajority after taking seats in the Northwest suburbs, Elgin and Romeoville areas. The state Senate split between the major political parties stayed exactly the same with 37 Democrats and 22 Republicans.

We would have liked to have seen more Republicans elected to Springfield to shake up the status quo and the stalemate among those Democrats who hold the power, but that change, unfortunately, never materialized.

More Democrats did win seats on the DuPage and Lake county boards than have for decades. That change did come.

Still, several Republican incumbents did survive feisty challenges around the suburbs.

Members of Congress Mark Kirk of Highland Park, Judy Biggert of Hinsdale and Peter Roskam of Wheaton all won. State Reps. Rosemary Mulligan of Des Plaines and Sidney Mathias of Buffalo Grove also were victorious, despite strong campaigns from competitors.

The rise of competitive races in our suburbs is a good thing and, as the area has been growing more Democratic for several cycles now, it appears to be something that will stay with us a while. It should.

Record voter turnout in Illinois would have been a good thing, but state election officials say we are unlikely to have surpassed the 88 percent turnout 48 years ago when John F. Kennedy was elected. Still, turnout was higher than usual, and it's clear many new and younger voters participated this time. That is a very good thing.

In our suburbs, it appears, most voters, new and veteran, did not blindly pick a party.

Voters in several cases seemed to be saying they may not like the overall picture in Washington or in Springfield, but they approve of their individual incumbents.

In many instances, voters seemed to weigh challengers and incumbents' records, their views, their communications.

Some of the campaign communications were disgraceful. Like never before, local candidates _ challengers and incumbents alike _ stuffed our mailboxes so full of lies, fear, and loathing that it made us afraid to reach inside.

That's a trend we'd like to see end.

But the higher turnout and the competitive races for county, legislative and congressional seats is a change for the better and one we hope sticks for years to come.