Rockland incumbents largely held serve but there were a few surprises on Tuesday as voters chose their next county executive in addition to deciding the balance of power in its town governments.

Here are nine takeaways from some of the contested races, based on unofficial tallies from the Rockland Board of Elections:

1. County executive

Ed Day held the power of the incumbency and an overwhelming fundraising advantage, but his road to a second four-year term wasn't a cakewalk.

Political neophyte Maureen Porette made a strong showing and even held the lead early in the night. Day wound up winning by roughly 54 percent to 43 percent.

ROCKLAND COUNTY EXECUTIVE:Day defeats Porette

RESULTS: Complete Rockland election results

WESTCHESTER:George Latimer wins county executive race

2. Ramapo Town Board

Democrats retained their ironclad hold on Town Hall. The ticket had ties to the administration of Christopher St. Lawrence, although the candidates attempted to distance and distinguish themselves from the former supervisor, who awaits sentencing on federal fraud convictions.

Democrat Michael Specht beat Republican William Weber for supervisor, 61 percent to 39 percent, and his running mates Yitzy Ullman and David Wanounou easily outpolled their GOP opponents for a pair of Town Board seats.

The results mean Democrats maintain a 5-0 majority.

3.Clarkstown Town Board

Supervisor George Hoehmann's accomplishments in his first term apparently were more important to voters than his campaign to oust Michael Sullivan as police chief. Hoehmann, a Republican, handily defeated Sullivan, a Democrat, to earn his second two-year term.

But Hoehmann may not have a GOP majority to do his bidding this term.

In the Town Council's first election under the ward system, incumbent Republican Frank Borelli handily won re-election in Ward 1, but Democrats led in the other three wards.

Incumbent Daniel Caprara led Peter Bradley by only 25 votes in Ward 2. Donald Franchino held a safer lead over Adrienne Carey, and Patrick Carroll outpolled incumbent John Noto.

4. Orangetown

Voters delivered the Town Board firmly into the hands of the Republicans on Tuesday night.

Chris Day, a veteran, businessman and son of County Executive Ed Day, apparently won his first election, leading former Supervisor Thom Kleiner by fewer than 200 votes.

Day would be joined by GOP allies Denis Troy and Thomas Diviny, incumbents who easily fended off challenges from Grant Valentine and Heather Hurley.

5. Surrogate Court judge

Rockland has a new Surrogate's Court judge, after Democrat Keith Cornell beat Republican Michael Koplen for the 10-year post, with Alden Wolfe, who lost the Democratic primary, polling last on third-party lines.

6. Stony Point

Stony Point's GOP slate — Supervisor Jim Monaghan and Town Board running mates Tom Basile and Michael Puccio — won uncontested races.

Voters apparently want the Rose Memorial Library to stay put: They narrowly rejected a proposition to increase the Rose Memorial Library Association's operating budget to help pay for a new building. The vote was close: 2,217 against to 2,105 in favor.

7. Sloatsburg

Voters love their volunteer firefighters: Residents approved two changes concerning the age at which volunteer firefighters can qualify for the village's pension plan and when they can start collecting.

8. Spring Valley

Rockland's largest village has a new mayor after Democrat Alan Simon drubbed Trustee Emilia White, former Mayor Allan Thompson and independent candidate Claude Jean Louis to win his first term.

The former judge will be joined by incumbents Asher Grossman and Vilair Fonvil and newcomer Eudson Tyson Francois on the all-Democratic Board of Trustees.

They will preside over a village in economic shambles that's been mired in political infighting between a board majority led by Fonvil and outgoing mayor Demeza Delhomme.

Fonvil himself is on trial on corruption charges; a guilty verdict could leave his seat open.

9. Other contests