The drastic shift from Republican to Democratic leadership in 2006 has been a thorn in the side for local Republican Party leaders.

Not only were Republicans saddened to see Democrats take the majority of Oregon and U.S. congressional seats that year, but they’ve been angered by the policies and spending of Democratic leadership since, according to Sally Stevens, chairwoman of the Clatsop County Republican Party Central Committee.

The continual disappointment has been a motivation for many Republicans to get out and vote this year.

“Now it’s getting easier,” said Stevens. “People are beginning to come forward.”

Stevens and the Republican Party committee are continuing their constant push to register new voters before the Oct. 14 registration deadline. She said, it’s important for the group to register as many Republican voters as possible, considering the rise in Democratic voters the county has seen in recent years.

“Clatsop County is unusual in that it’s the bluest rural county in Oregon,” said Larry Taylor, chairman of the Clatsop County Democratic Party Central Committee.

About 21,400 out of the more than 37,000 residents of Clatsop County are registered to vote. Recent records show that there are 9,591 registered Democrats, versus 6,268 Republicans. As of July 31, about 180 more Democrats were registered to vote in Clatsop County than during the 2004 general election, while there are now 800 fewer registered Republicans.

Taylor said that the local Democratic Party committee is riding the wave of enthusiasm from this year’s primary race between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Stevens said many people registered as Democrats during the primary to vote in the contentious race.

Both committees spent time at the Clatsop County Fair courting new voters. Taylor said his group sold out of Democratic campaign material at the fair and is currently waiting for more Obama materials to come in.

One of the local Democratic committee’s highlights is a barbecue Saturday featuring secretary of state candidate Kate Brown, U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley and other local Democrats running for office. The barbecue will cost $15 and is at the south pavilion of Cullaby Lake County Park.

Stevens said some of the biggest Republican support has come from July rallies, like one the local Republican party held for Rick Dancer, Republican candidate for secretary of state, and Allen Alley, Republican candidate for state treasurer. At the rally, they barbecued and chatted with the candidates for a few hours and handed out dozens of signs and campaign materials.

Both committees are continuing to organize events during the next two months to rally votes in their party’s favor.

The Republican committee organized some informal viewing parties for the Republican National Convention, and is trying to hold more for the November election. The Democratic committee is setting up a Clatsop County headquarters at 375 11th in Astoria, where it will have an open house party from 3 to 6 p.m. on its official open date Sept. 21.

“We’ll have the motivation to continue till the end,” said Taylor.

The Republican Party’s local headquarters opened Sept. 4 at 1490 Commercial St., on the second floor.

As the election nears, Stevens said she is seeing more motivation from Republicans who aren’t necessarily working year-round on campaigns, a positive sign for November.

“I’m getting people on the phone now that I haven’t talked to for four years,” said Stevens.

If Oregon voter history is any sign of what is to come this November, the election might see some of the highest-ever voting numbers.

In the November general election four years ago, when George W. Bush and John Kerry were battling for the U.S. presidency, 19,400 of the 22,500 registered voters in Clatsop County tossed in ballots.

The county’s registered voter turnout hit equivalent percentages of the statewide participation total in 2004, when 1,851,000 of the 2,141,000 registered Oregonians voted. That was the second highest voter turnout in Oregon general election history and no single county in Oregon had fewer than 82 percent of its registered voters come out.

With two months to go, state elections officials say Oregon could easily surpass previous registration and voter turnout records.

“With registration drives coming up, we might hit an all-time high in registration,” said Don Hamilton, chief of communications for the Oregon Secretary of State. “We could expect even higher turnout.”

This year’s general election not only hosts the presidential race between Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, but it is also the first time since 1976 that the secretary of state, the attorney general, and the state treasurer spots are up for grabs simultaneously. Races for Gordon Smith’s U.S. Senate seat and a few statewide measures have also proven contentious.

Hamilton speculated those factors could spark huge interest in the general election.

Plus, voter turnout was up in the 2008 primary. In the 2004 primary, 8,900 Clatsop County residents voted, while in 2008, nearly 12,500 residents sent in ballots.

With filing deadlines to run for office now past, the ballots are set in Pacific County and Clatsop County for the Nov. 4 election.

Federal office

President

Barack Obama, Democrat

John McCain, Republican

OREGON

Clatsop County

U.S. Senate

Gordon Smith, Republican, incumbent

Jeff Merkley, Democrat

Representative in Congress, District 1

David Wu, Democrat, incumbent

Joel Haugen, Republican

Secretary of State

Kate Brown, Democrat

Rick Dancer, Republican

State Treasurer

Ben Westlund, Democrat

Allen Alley, Republican

Attorney General

John Kroger, Democrat

State Representative, District 31

Brad Witt, Democrat

State Representative,

District 32

Deborah Boone, Democrat

Commissioner of the Bureau of

Labor and Industries

Brad Avakian, incumbent

Pavel Goberman

Mark Welyczko

Clatsop County Commissioner, District 2

Patricia Roberts

James B. Scheller

Clatsop County Sheriff

Tom Bergin

Astoria City Commissioner

Ward 1

Bruce S. Conner

Arline LaMear

Astoria City Commissioner

Ward 2

Peter Roscoe

Astoria City Commissioner

Ward 4

Bob Goldberg

Russell E. Warr

Cannon Beach Mayor

Bill Bennett

Mike Morgan

Cannon Beach City Council

(top two will be elected)

Melissa Cadwallader

Jerome Arnold

Wendy Higgins

Warrenton City Commission, Position No. 1

Mark Kujala

Warrenton City Commission, Position No. 2

Terry A. Ferguson

Warrenton City Commission, Position No. 3

Frank Orrell

Gearhart Mayor

Kent A. Smith

Gearhart City Council,

Position No. 2

Edward Tice

Gearhart City Council,

Position No. 4

Dorothy Well

Seaside City Council,

Ward 1 and 2, at large

Tim Tolan

Seaside City Council, Ward 3

Don Johnson

Seaside City Council, Ward 4

Raphael (Stubby) Lyons Jr.

Clatsop Soil and Water

Conservation District, Zone 1

No candidate filed

Clatsop Soil and Water

Conservation District, Zone 2

No candidate filed

Clatsop Soil and Water

Conservation District, Zone 3

Ted Warila

Clatsop Soil and Water

Conservation District, Zone 5

John Ilg

Clatsop Soil and Water

Conservation District, at large 1

Mike Seppa

Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue Board Members

(Top five elected)

Juana Del Handy

John Steele

James (Jim) Globe

Jack E. Allen

Paul Russo

Bob Forster

Dave Cram

WASHINGTON

Pacific County

U.S. Congressional District 3

Brian Baird, Democrat

Michael Delavar, Republican

Governor

Christine Gregoire, Democrat

Dino Rossi, Republican

Lt. Governor

Brad Owen, Democrat

Marcia McCraw, Republican

Secretary of State

Sam Reed, Republican

Jason Osgood, Democrat

State Treasurer

Allan Martin, Republican

Jim McIntire, Democrat

State Auditor

Brian Sonntag, Democrat

J. Richard (Dick) McEntee, Republican

Attorney General

Rob McKenna, Republican

John Ladenburg, Democrat

Commissioner of Public Lands

Doug Sutherland, Republican

Peter J. Goldmark, Democrat

Superintendent of Public

Instruction

Teresa (Terry) Bergeson

Randy Dorn

Insurance Commissioner

Mike Kreidler, Democrat

John R. Adams, Republican

Washington State Supreme Court

Justice Position 3

Mary Fairhurst

Michael J. Bond

Justice Position 4

Charles W. Johnson

James M. Beecher

Justice Position 7

Debra L. Stephens

Legislative District 19

State Senator

Brian Hatfield, Democrat

State Representative,

Position 1

Dean Takko, Democrat

State Representative

Position 2

Brian E. Blake, Democrat

Pacific County Commissioner

Seat No. 1

Jon C. Kaino

Seat No. 2

Norman (Bud) Cuffel

Ray Bowman

Pacific, Waikiakum Superior Court

Judge Position 1

Mike Sullivan

Public Utility District 2

Commissioner No. 1

Michael Swanson

Karl W. Heinicke