In Alaska, Dems gained 1 Senate seat and 3 House seats.
In Idaho, Dems gained 6 House seats.
In North Dakota, Dems gained 6 Senate and 6 House seats.
In South Dakota, Dems gained 5 Senate seats and 1 House seat.
In Texas, Dems gained 5 House seats.
In Wyoming, Dems gained 3 House seats.

Some of this had to do with the Democratic tide in the election, some with candidate recruitment and local issues, and some with Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean's efforts to boost state party organizations in all 50 states. It certainly contrasted sharply with how the Republicans did last year: The GOP gained ground in only seven chambers spread across five states.

Yet even these modest gains are translating into policy achievements. "At the state legislative level more than any other, progress counts, even if you don't flip the chamber," said Michael Sargeant, executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

In Wyoming, the Democratic gains included two female legislators, one of whom won back a seat she'd lost in '04 because her GOP opponent was blocking Dem efforts to remove the sales tax on groceries, and the other one, a working mom who this year helped break GOP logjams on expanded childcare and a ban on open alcohol in cars.

In South Dakota, where the loony zero-tolerance abortion law was overturned by a ballot measure last November, the Democrats have helped eradicate the extreme right-wing agenda from the state house.

"Abortion disappeared. Sex education disappeared. The right wing basically sat the session out," said Sioux Falls-based Democratic activist Todd Epp.

In Alaska, the Democrats pulled a remarkable piece of political jiu-jitsu by forming a governing coalition in the Senate of 9 of their own, plus 6 of the more moderate members of Brand X. Again, the extreme agenda went away, and such meat-and-potatoes Democratic efforts like a blocking a proposed bar on benefits for same-sex partners of public employees and a modest increase in support for children's health care were the result.

Most of you probably heard elsewhere about how Democrats helped the Texas House to keep embattled state House Speaker Tom Craddick in office.

. . . and they reaped legislative dividends, such as loosened eligibility requirements for a children's health insurance program and an end to active consideration of school vouchers, political observers in Austin said.

North Dakota Democrats helped pass a modest minimum wage increase and approved a long-stalled repeal of a law that makes co-habitation illegal.

They also drove reform of a troubled state workers compensation agency, limited state tuition increases and stymied a GOP-proposed property tax reform plan.

Only in Idaho did the Blue shift fail to reap many benefits, mainly because moderate Republicans turned to the right, and installed a more conservative leadership. They'll learn, but it may take a while, as Democrats are still just a quarter of the House there. Any Republican majority that big has to have some corruption lurking somewhere. Any ambitious Idaho journalists looking to prove their investigative chops?

I firmly believe that the state legislatures are the farm system for the Democrats nationally, and since they are closer to the people, they tend to favor our agenda. A strong farm system is essential to the future success of the big club. These folks are the ones who will run to replace the Ted Stevenses, James Inhofes, and John Thunes of the world. Watch these folks and support them in any way you can.