When it comes to politics, particularly in Georgia, there are few events that can truly catch everyone off guard. But few saw this one coming.

Two months ago, Mike Evans was fresh off a victorious fight for his seat on the Department of Transportation Board. With support of several key legislators in the area and state leaders such as Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, he fended off a challenge for his seat led by House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

But Thursday, Evans stepped down from the board, citing his desire to pursue a romantic relationship with DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham. The two have grown close in recent months, Evans said, and want to take their friendship to the next level.

So, Evans concluded that one of them had to go, and decided it should be him. Yet Abraham's fate remains in doubt as well, to be decided by the remaining members of the DOT board on Monday.

It was a stunning turnaround in one of the state's more contentious political sagas of recent years. Though DOT appointments are largely ignored by the public and media, Evans' re-election became a key political proxy battle between Richardson and Cagle, the likely top contenders in the 2010 governor's race. Their feud moved on to other arenas as the legislative session went on, most notably in the fight over state tax cuts, but the DOT election served as a significant early skirmish in their mounting feud.

Said Cagle of Richardson after the DOT vote: "In this business, you win some and you lose some. I don't know of anything that he's won yet."

And that wasn't the only political effect. Several legislators who backed Evans instead of Richardson's choice for the board, former Hall County representative Stacy Reece, paid a heavy price when the speaker stripped them of their influence in the Capitol. Among them was Doug Collins, who succeeded Reece as representative for the North Hall district.

Some of them were left dumbfounded by Evan's resignation, perhaps feeling a little betrayed after they put their necks on the line for him. Now the whole battle and its aftermath appears to have been for naught.

This newspaper publicly supported Evans' bid for re-election, and we still feel he was the right man for the job. His tenure on the board was good for the state, which makes the most recent turn of events all the more disappointing, even if understandable.

Friday, Evans attended a 9th District Republican dinner in Sautee, with Abraham in tow, and offered his regrets to supporters in attendance.

"There are a lot of friends in this room. A lot of good friends," Evans said. "I owe you an apology. Y'all spent a lot of effort getting me re-elected two or three months ago and me not finishing out my term is disappointing to some, and I apologize."

The question now is whether Abraham can survive the turmoil and still run the DOT effectively. She already has earned praise for her willingness to address the agency's ongoing budget shortfalls and honest appraisal of its in-house problems.

The fallout from this could be damaging to the agency, which is among the state's most influential in determining the scope and direction of the area's growth. The DOT has the power to take private property for public projects and to decide whose area will benefit from highway construction and whose won't. It's a huge bureau with a massive budget that needs to be spent wisely on the right priorities to keep Georgians moving.

But before everyone piles on Evans over his sudden departure, it's wise to put his decision in perspective. However disappointing his resignation may be to some, it clearly was the right thing to do under the circumstances.

In an age when sex scandals have brought down a number of key political figures nationwide -- the most recent example being former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's trysts with a call girl -- this so far appears to be a PG-rated affair of the heart that wouldn't make the front page of most tabloids.

Evans says his personal relationship with Abraham had not advanced to the dating stage at the time of his election, and while some express doubt at that, we should take him at his word. If that's the case, his resignation avoided what could have been a much more damaging scandal for the DOT to endure. The conflict of interest charges leveled at the board chairman and commissioner would have hamstrung the agency's efforts for some time if news of their relationship had come out prior to his departure.

And it's also important to point out that neither Evans nor Abraham are married, so no spouses or family members have been hurt by this.

This story reminds us, in case we forget, that even those in public life are human beings, subject to the same emotions and frailties as the rest of us. Evans and Abraham surely didn't intend to fall for each other on the job, but sometimes these things happen. Two single people thrust into a close working relationship became emotionally involved. To avoid the appearance of a conflict, one decided to step down. That's the way it's supposed to work.

If Abraham survives the board's scrutiny, the agency should be able to get past this bump in the road. A new chairman will take Evans' place and the incident will fade into history. The only possible stumbling block will occur if Richardson and Cagle again choose opposing candidates and play out their 2010 campaign duel on the DOT stage.

We wish Evans well in his future endeavors. He's a capable man who has served the state well and surely will find a new outlet for his abilities. And we hope Abraham can move on from the incident to run the DOT effectively in the future. If not, new leaders need to pick up the ball and keep the department moving forward.

Whatever the result, we hope the DOT and its board won't continue to serve as a political football for those with grand ambitions elsewhere. If this incident is allowed to derail the department's work, we'll all lose out in the long run and our state will suffer the long-term consequences.