The changes that have been occurring in Dutchess County politics in recent years have been quite significant...In 2005, the massive 2 to 1 Republican majority on the legislature was whittled away to a paltry one seat margin. Registered Democrats have now nearly broken even with the number of registered Republicans after being down by a nearly 10-point deficit only a decade ago. The county population is rapidly growing with more and more progressive-minded refugees from downstate moving in. Not to mention, the Dutchess congressional delegation flipped entirely from Republican to Democratic last year with the election of Kirsten Gillibrand and John Hall.

If there's one county in New York State where we may see a major earthquake in local politics this year, Dutchess County may very well be it...

Check out this passage from an October 14, 2007 Poughkeepsie Journal article discussing the transformation which is currently taking place in Dutchess County politics:

Republican dominance of the Legislature has dwindled in recent years to a 13-12 edge. Voters will go to the polls Nov. 6 to elect lawmakers in all 25 districts. Twenty-one districts have contested races where issues of property taxes, county-wide private well testing and protecting the environment are engaging voters.

Democrats in 2005 picked up four seats. The Democrats have not held a majority in the Dutchess Legislature since 1977 and that was for only one year. Still, recent electoral trends may give them some hope.

Among the electorate, Democrats have outpaced the Republicans in gaining new voters. However, the GOP still has an edge. Since 1999, the number of registered Democrats increased 23.5 percent to 49,490. The Republicans grew by 6.8 percent to 53,597.

There was also a great diary posted today over at the Daily Kos today discussing the continuing destruction of the "ancient GOP machines" which once dominated Hudson Valley politics:

All politics is local.

The counties of the Hudson Valley north of New York City have been One-Party Republican country for a hundred years (FDR never carried Dutchess County and he lived there).  

Thanks to changes in our economy, our society and the disastrous Bush-Cheney regime, even ancient GOP machines are crumbling.  Democrats and independents are gaining registered voters. Increasing diversity has blunted "conservative" race-baiting. In 2005, Democrats won control of the Ulster County legislature. In 2006 Democrat John Hall ousted a Bushie super-hawk from Congress.