It's been three years since local Democrats stunned Republicans and turned the Old Red Courthouse blue, along with nearly the rest of Dallas County.

Since that election, which swept into office Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and County Judge Jim Foster, Democrats have seemingly solidified their dominance. In next year's elections, they hope to score a majority on the county Commissioners Court and win enough area seats to retake the Texas House.

So it's understandable that Dallas County Democratic Chairman Darlene Ewing is preparing to extend the winning streak. She likes her party's chances for victory with incumbents like Watkins and the 2006 class of judges now running for re-election.

But Republicans are hoping for opportunities to break through. They say 2010 will be the true measure of the county's political dynamic, since last year's Democratic tidal wave was powered by the historic candidacy of President Barack Obama.

"Even the most ardent partisan can't claim we didn't get our clocks cleaned the last two cycles," said Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman. "The question is why? We don't know what's driving it. I, for one, don't believe this is a Democratic county."

The numbers could prove it is indeed a haven for Democrats.

The percentage of the Democratic vote in Dallas County has been rising since the start of the decade. It's now closing in on 60 percent of the overall vote.

Even if you throw the Obama election out of the widow, a modest 2 percent increase of the vote would put Democrats comfortably over 50 percent.

Republicans like to say 40,000 or so voters stayed home in 2006, disgruntled by national GOP scandals and the unpopularity of President George W. Bush.

More and more Republicans, however, are moving to the friendly confines of Collin County, leaving heavily Democratic southern Dallas more empowered.

But there could be openings for Republicans here, especially if they have the numbers to make a stand.

Obama is not on the ballot. Nationally, Republicans are benefiting from a drop in the president's approval ratings and the rise of movements that push limited government and less spending.

In Texas, the governor's race between incumbent Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison could fire up the party's base.

And if Hutchison is the Republican nominee, it could help the overall GOP in Dallas County, where she lives.

Sounds like a reach? It is.

But no one except a few kooks in the backroom predicted the extent of the Democratic win in 2006.

What Republicans need is someone or something to fire up the base and drive their voters to the polls. It's that simple.

Democrats have an added incentive to win. If they sweep again, Republicans would be out of excuses. There would be no Obama factor or five-way governor's race to blame.

It would be just another blue election in a solid blue county.

gjeffers@dallasnews.com

On Friday, Dallas was the party place for numerous Texas politicos.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst were in the same room at State Rep. Jim Pitt's fundraiser. The powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee had his event at the Melrose Hotel.

State Sen. Royce West, Rep. Brian McCall and Rep. Chris Turner were among numerous politicians to hold events during Texas-OU weekend.

On Sunday's edition of Inside Texas Politics on WFAA-TV (Channel 8 ), Democratic strategist Matt Angle said Rick Perry would be the Republican nominee for governor. He criticized challenger Kay Bailey Hutchison for waffling on her plans to leave the Senate to focus entirely on beating Perry.

"She's been in and out of the Senate more times than Brett Favre 's been in and out of the NFL," Angle said.

But as the show's host, Brad Watson, pointed out, Democrats would generally prefer to run against Perry than Hutchison.

So Angle's prognostications about the race could be wishful thinking.

Gromer Jeffers Jr.