One of the things that makes American democracy unique took place at the Webster County Courthouse last Thursday.

There, in a brief ceremony, a peaceful and seamless transition of authority occurred when two newly-elected members of the Board of Supervisors, along with other officials who won reelection, were sworn into office by District Court Judge Angela Doyle.

The newly elected members of the board are Nathan Montgomery in District 2 and John Cochrane in District 5.

Shaunna Abrams, the new county auditor, also took the oath of office that day.

In the November general election, the voters also reelected some veteran local leaders.

Supervisor Bob Thode was reelected to his third term representing District 3.

Additionally, Sheriff Luke Fleener was reelected to his second term.

The officials who have been sworn in may someday find themselves being sworn at. Being an elected leader is a tough job, and it’s one in which it’s impossible to make everyone happy.

There’s also a lot of work involved in being an elected official. Indeed, experienced supervisors may say that the Tuesday morning meetings in the courthouse are actually a small part of their workload.

We congratulate those officials who took the oath of office, and we thank them for their willingness to take on the challenge of leading our county

Now they must set aside the campaign rhetoric and begin the tough work of governing.