With every election there are winners and losers, beyond the candidates on the ballot. Wednesday's column was about the winners. Today: The Losers.

THE GOP: The Cayuga County's Grand Old Party was the biggest loser this election cycle. With the exceptions of the race for district attorney and county Legislature for Owasco/Sennett - both traditionally Republican seats - the GOP lost the mayor's chair, couldn't come up with one, let alone two candidates for city council (the second time in four years), barely held onto one legislative seat, lost another and lost two town supervisor seats (Owasco and Sennett). That's nothing to be proud of, especially after losing the trifecta last year of seats for Congress, county judge and sheriff. Not having candidates for city council in 2003 and only one in 2001 and 2005, one has to ask, will anyone in the GOP hierarchy be held accountable for these devastating losses?

MATT SMITH: The freshman city councilor went out of his way to support the failed Civil Service referendum, going so far as to film a brief piece shown on public access in favor of it. It lost overwhelmingly. Not only is that a loss for him, but he will also be the lone Republican on council in 2008. While his seat is not up for another two years, he may see being in a 4-1 minority position as just not worth it, hurting GOP chances further in keeping any seat at city hall, since they did not run candidates this year or in 2003.

WANNABEES: This was the year for candidates who have repeatedly run in the past without success to be on the ballot, especially if they could have secured the GOP line, which was empty, or one of the Independence Party slots. This could have been the year for the likes of a Jerry Morgan or Art Wenzel.

SNAKE EYES: The loss of Mayor Tim Lattimore should doom any further talk of a casino being built in Auburn, let alone Cayuga County. While the changes in the county Legislature may not alter the county's position on the issue, casino proponents lost their staunchest supporter in the outgoing mayor.

SEAN STANYON: The local Democratic gadfly ran a disastrous primary challenge against the eventual winner of the seat, Daniel Sincebaugh. He then seemed to support both Democratic district attorney nominee Michael Bass and Republican mayoral candidate Lattimore (whose personal fitness for office he questioned four years ago at a high school forum). The young Democrat, even after losing his primary, decided to run a failed write-in campaign a week before Election Day. The question is whether local Democrats will ever have anything to do with him again.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com