Is there a sweeping message to be read from the November 6 election? Observers say no.

There was no major contest on the ballot - Democrats didn't field a challenger to County Executive Maggie Brooks - and no definitive countywide issue surfaced. Many registered voters never went to the polls, and that may be the most significant statement. Turnout was only 29 percent countywide - paltry compared to 2003, when turnout topped 50 percent.

"One thing you can say is they are feeling apathy," says Tim Kneeland, a political science professor at Nazareth College.

The 2007 elections were about local issues and local personalities, experts say. That's what happened in Chili, for example. Voters were turned off by Republican Supervisor Tracy Logel's leadership style and priorities - residents in the town clashed with her over big-box development - and elected Democrat David Dunning instead.

It's likely that Brooks' controversial FAIR Plan did push some voters to the polls. Republicans, on the other hand, may have been helped by a now-notorious mailer that linked Democrats with Governor Eliot Spitzer's controversial plan to allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses. The mailer may have also reviled voters to the point where they stayed away from the polls completely. (The Fair Elections Practices Committee, on the eve of elections, said the mailer was unethical and called on Republican candidates to repudiate it.)

Brooks did have some competition from Working Families Party candidate Patrick Christopher. And some observers, particularly Democrats, say Brooks' vote totals aren't exactly a ringing endorsement of her administration. She received 74 percent of the votes cast in the county-executive race. But she got only 58 percent of the total votes cast - meaning a good number of voters skipped that race altogether. Over 25,600 additional votes were cast in the district attorney's race, where incumbent Democrat Mike Green bested Republican challenger Cara Briggs. That could show there was a silent protest against Brooks, Kneeland says.

For a few moments on election night, it looked like Democrats would gain control of the County Legislature, coming within striking distance in two key races - the 1st and 10th Districts.

The Democrats ended up gaining two seats, leaving Republicans with a single-seat majority. Democrat Carmen Gumina beat out Republican Dave Malta in the 8th District, and Democrat Dick Beebe defeated Republican Ray DiRaddo in the 6th District.

"This was a huge victory on Tuesday," says Democratic minority leader Harry Bronson.

Beebe's victory may well have been the result of old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning, say experts. Democrats also have a 1,075 to 859 enrollment edge over Republicans in that district.

The Gumina-Malta contest became the highest-profile Legislature race. And one of the fiercest. After Gumina criticized Brooks' FAIR Plan, the county executive set up a podium outside of Webster's State Road Elementary School - where Gumina is principal - and held a press conference, firing back. A campaign mailer was also sent out on Malta's behalf, criticizing test scores at State Road. The school, however, is one of two in the Webster district that accepts special-education students. Observers say the now-infamous "Nice guys finish last" mailer may have resulted in significant backlash against Malta. In the end, Gumina captured more than 60 percent of the vote.

Republicans received a big boost from Brooks, who used the money in her substantial campaign war chest and her popularity to prop up the party. Republican County Legislature candidates aligned themselves with the popular county executive - a winning strategy for many, says Republican personality and radio-show host Bill Nojay.

There could be a new dynamic in the Legislature, now that Republicans have only a slim majority. It's possible one or two Republican legislators could look to forge alliances with Democrats, knowing a single vote can make a difference in whether legislation passes or stalls.

"That's something that's likely to be in the cards," says outgoing Republican majority leader Bill Smith.

In recent years, Republican legislators have voted as a block. There has, however, been occasional dissent. Last year, for example, Ciaran Hanna and Bob Colby voted against an ultimately successful proposal to move the budget submission deadline to after elections. Their defection almost caused the measure to fail. As punishment, Hanna and Colby were stripped of committee leadership posts.

Democrats say they are ready to work with Republicans. Voters have signaled they are ready for "real solutions" to the county's problems, not partisanship, minority leader Bronson says.

Bipartisan cooperation is not guaranteed. A single-vote majority could mean that Republican leaders will take a "protectionist" approach, Nojay says.

Republicans and Democrats will lose experienced leaders on January 1, and that is another factor that will affect the dynamic. Term limits are claiming Republican Bill Smith and Democrat Stephanie Aldersley. Smith has been an effective majority leader and spokesperson for Republicans.

Aldersley is a former minority leader and has been a strong voice in her party, as well. Democrats will also have to appoint a replacement for former minority leader Carla Palumbo, who was elected to City Council.

Democrats made significant gains in towns and villages across Monroe County. The upset in Chili was just a start. In East Rochester, Jason Koon defeated incumbent Republican Mayor David Bonacchi, and Andrew Serrano unseated incumbent Republican Trustee Barbara Marr. Irondequoit's Town Board is now all-Democratic, and there is a Democratic majority on the Mendon Town Board. In Fairport, Democrat Wayne Shipman unseated Republican incumbent Trustee Leslie White, giving Democrats the majority on that board. Sheldon Meyers was elected to the Clarkson Town Board, where he will be the sole Democrat.

In communities such as Irondequoit, there's an easy explanation for the victories: Democrats outnumber Republicans. Irondequoit, along with other inner-ring suburbs like Gates, are trending Democratic, says Kneeland. And the local committees are doing a good job building their base, he says.

Other communities have single issues of particular importance to voters. In Mendon, it's the town library. There's not enough space in the building, which also has structural problems and is not handicap accessible. For several years, the town has been discussing whether to repair the building, build anew, or lease space for the library. Shari Stottler and Mark Cottle, Democrats elected to the town board this year, are both library trustees and have pledged to resolve the issue. So has newly-elected Supervisor Ian McNabb, who had the Democratic endorsement.

In Chili, commercial development is the major issue. New Supervisor Dunning led the No Mall on Paul movement, which opposed a big-box development close to a residential area.

In Fairport, preservation has been a hot-button issue, and Shipman made it a centerpiece of his campaign.