... among the Democrats who are already in power.

Under a reorganization bordering on the bizarre, majority Democrats on the King County Council have agreed to let Larry Phillips remain as council chairman for a third consecutive year.
...
Although the Democratic majority will continue to hold most of the council's more-powerful positions under the reorganization plan, a few titles, if not much power, will go to the four Republicans.
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[Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, R-Redmond] said that Phillips had promised her the chairmanship of the council's Law, Justice and Human Services Committee in exchange for her support of his re-election as council chairman, but that he then gave the committee leadership to Ferguson instead.