By now — in most cases — the ballots have been counted and incumbents and challengers across North Kitsap are fairly certain whether or not they’ll be spending the next several years mulling over everything from school district budgets and teachers’ requests to municipal sewer plans and city hall designs or watching “Frasier” reruns.

“Hey baby I hear the blues a’callin.’ Tossed salads and scrambled eggs…” and so on.

Like any contested race, there are winners and losers. And while the former are no doubt basking in the glow of success and congratulatory calls, the latter are likely asking themselves where they went wrong. The North Kitsap Herald endorsed a handful of these candidates, but this doesn’t mean this paper doesn’t appreciate everyone who threw his or her hat in the ring so many months ago to take a shot at making a difference in the community.

For this, victorious or not, all of the candidates deserve our gratitude. Their hard work along the campaign trail is appreciated. Long days. Hours away from their families and friends. Constantly getting grilled by the public and the media.

Good times.

The past several months either helped prepare our candidates for their respective positions, or provided them with a learning experience they won’t soon forget. In short, everyone of them will gain something. It might not be what they had in mind or hoped for, but they’ll be getting it nonetheless.

With the 2007 election finished, we’d like to thank all of our North Kitsap candidates for running clean campaigns that helped educate voters throughout the region.

Such instruction would not have been as viable had they not taken a chance and run for office. For this we thank each and everyone of them.