Pignanelli: A Utah Democrat has much in common with the 17th-century astronomer Galileo: enlightened as to how the universe should operate, expressions of strongly held beliefs are frequently crushed by society. National and local results released early Wednesday morning once again stomped on the aspirations of the minority party. However, amid all the despair there were some bright lights of victory and hope. Democrats made gains in Salt Lake County, increased their share of legislators by one and held onto incumbents in tight races. The individuals responsible for these successes deserve an expression of appreciation. First, give a big "thank you" to Salt Lake County Nancy Workman for her steadfast refusal to exit the ballot in a timely manner. Her pride and stubbornness prevented Ellis Ivory from establishing enough momentum to overcome the hard work undertaken by Peter Corroon and Jenny Wilson throughout the summer.

A sincere thank you goes to Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and his challenger Greg Skordas for exhibiting political courage in raising questions about Amendment 3. Their actions allowed Utahns to engage in a healthy dialogue regarding the merits of this constitutional provision without incurring the wrath of reasonable people. Equally important, these deliberations prohibited the amendment from becoming a wedge issue in the elections.

Utahns with affection for a strong political process are grateful to Democratic contenders across the state who struggled every day on the campaign trail against formidable odds, in pursuit of the high ideal of giving citizens a choice at the polls. Scott Matheson Jr. and Karen Hale deserve special recognition for a valiant effort. Their positive campaign raised important issues regarding public education, the environment, transportation and our lifestyle that can no longer be ignored. The high quality of these two candidates provided a boost to the entire ticket.

Every Utahn, regardless of political affiliation, must take pride and acknowledge the stamina, dedication and personal character of Congressman Jim Matheson. The immense resources of the national majority party were thrown against Matheson, who didn't just survive but flourished in the final count. Every day, he dodged artillery fired from the Republican National Campaign Committee and greeted voters with an upbeat attitude. Matheson has set the standard for all politicians to aspire.

• The elections last week were a tussle between kittens compared to the legislative competition scheduled for this week. All legislators will gather in their party caucus to determine the leaders, including House speaker and Senate president. Because the participants know each other so well, these contests are political hand-to-hand combat. The outcome is important because these individuals dictate the legislative agenda on matters that affect every Utahn. Furthermore, they will play a key role in shaping programs initiated by Gov.-elect Jon Huntsman Jr.