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Southwest Washington State

In Southwest Washington State, the Democratic Party controlled all levers of political power for many decades.  Places like Pacific County, Grays Harbor County, Wahkiakum County, and Cowlitz County were strongholds for the Democratic Party since the 1930s.  Times are changing.

This part of Washington State is culturally conservative, rural, and has been economically depressed since the days of the Spotted Owl wars in the late 1980s largely destroyed the timber industry and the local economies which depended on it.  The state’s Growth Management Act and other Seattle-centric regulations began to further harm local communities as the bureaucrats and enforcers infected this part of the state.  Private sector union and nonunion work alike became scarce and what remained has been under constant irrational attack by Seattle based Gang Green interests.

The local Democratic Party thrived on the inertia left from the New Deal era and the family  generational loyalty to the party which was founded on that history.  That party loyalty is vanishing now as the Democratic Party morphs into something past generations wouldn’t recognize.

Grays Harbor County Commissioner Wes Cormier

Although political warning signs were apparent years earlier, the trend accelerated with the election of Republican Wes Cormier as Grays Harbor Commissioner in 2012.  His election led to the first majority Republican control of the Grays Harbor Commission since the 1930s.  This seemed like a fluke to many, and the local Democratic Party leadership marinated in denial, but this trend can’t be wished away.  Let’s review some more specific examples.  A handful of these might be aberrations, but the macro trend is obvious to those willing to look closer:

2012: 

2014:

2016:

Representative Jim Walsh (19th LD)

2017: 

Teresa Purcell, failed 2016 Democrat candidate in 19th LD fought the AG as long as she could, but settled her campaign finance lawsuit for $22k earlier this year
  • Democratic Party launches aggressive effort to remove Republicans from Longview City Council races in Cowlitz CountyDemocrats fail. Independents and Republicans remain on the city council.
  • Pacific County Democratic Party dissolves political action committee in an illegal effort to avoid transparency and liability for campaign finance violations caused by leadership. All financial assets are transferred to Washington State Democratic Party (see article here)
  • Wahkiakum County Democrats, Grays Harbor County Democrats, Cowlitz County Democrats, and 19th LD Democrats are all caught breaking Washington State’s campaign finance laws. This author files campaign finance complaints (linked here, here, here, and here)

2018:

Republican Cowlitz County Commissioner Arne Mortensen – elected in 2016 ensured a Republican majority on the Commission

This trend doesn’t mean the Democratic Party is abandoning this part of Washington State.   In fact, most political insiders believe that the Democratic Party will pour massive resources into the local effort against both Incumbent Republican legislator Jim Walsh (19th LD) and against Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Butler (3rd CD).  The Democrats might still enjoy a few local successes; however, this appears to be their final gasp at salvaging a damaged brand in a part of the state where the Democratic Party long ago stopped caring about the local community.  They took the voters for granted and implemented unpopular high-tax, abusive over-regulation, and out-of-step Seattle-centric agendas.

Just because the Democratic Party may be suffering in this part of the state, this doesn’t mean the Republicans always get the political benefit.  While elected officials and candidates are abandoning the Democratic Party label – as are voters – many of the newly elected officials are running as independents – or they are now identifying as “no party affiliation.”  This is similar to the local elections in nearby Thurston and Mason County.  The local Republican Party seems surprised at the changing political winds and a bit unprepared to fill the political vacuum – as though voters might change their minds if the Republicans clearly differentiate themselves.    However, like nature, political leadership abhors a vacuum and the Republicans have a generational opportunity to demonstrate that their policies are more in sync with this community than the Seattle-centric programs pushed by the Democrats.  Over the next few election cycles, we will see if the Republicans can shake their shock and surprise to fill the void.

There are lessons to be learned here – for any political party

Eventually, voters will not support a political party when they are offended and ignored enough

First, no matter how long one party has dominated a city or region – their hold is not certain or forever.  Votes still must be earned.  People and communities change.  For example, New York City hadn’t elected a Republican as mayor since the 1960s, but Democrat Mayor Dinkins was so incompetent and dysfunctional that Republican Rudy Giuliani was elected in 1993 in this bluest of blue cities.

Secondly, when one political party starts to take the local voters for granted and implements policies obviously destructive to those communities and out-of-touch with their constituents, there will be a backlash.

Finally, this backlash is unlikely to be instant, it can be delayed by political inertia, habitual loyalty, and human nature.  It may even take years to manifest itself.  However, when it does, it is very hard to reverse the tide – no matter how much money gets thrown at the problem.  In Southwest Washington the Democrats might claw back to political relevance, but it won’t be easy and for now, their political brand has little to offer the residents of Southwest Washington.

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OUR CONSTITUTION BEGINS WITH THE PHRASE “WE THE PEOPLE.”  IT WAS THE FOUNDER’S INTENT THAT GOVERNMENT BE CREATED BY THE PEOPLE, TO SERVE THE PEOPLE.  IT WASN’T THEIR INTENTION FOR THE PEOPLE TO SERVE THE GOVERNMENT.  IT WAS ALWAYS INTENDED THAT GOVERNMENT WHICH FAILED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE “ALTERED OR ABOLISHED.”  UNTIL WE RETURN TO THE FOUNDER’S INTENT, WE REMAIN WE THE GOVERNED

Background articles:

The Daily World – Jan 10, 2017 – “County Commissioner Wes Cormier remembers Herb Welch”

The Daily Chronicle – November 21, 2016- “How did a Republican win in the 19th District? There are many possible reasons”

Failed Democratic candidate Teresa Purcell settles AG lawsuit for $22k, admits law breaking

Failed Democrat candidate Purcell fights Washington Attorney General, claims campaign finance laws are illegal

Chinook Observer – June 5, 2018 – “Purcell fined for campaign finance violations”

Longview Daily News – June 2, 2018 – “Purcell settles campaign finance complaints”

Longview Daily News – June 17, 2017 – “Teresa Purcell facing new campaign complaint, still fighting older one”

December 19, 2016 -AG lawsuit against Theresa Purcell (Thurston Superior Court #16-2-04959-34)

Purcell – 4th Amended AG Complaint – May 25 -2018 (Thurston Superior Court #16-2-04959-34)

Purcell Stipulation and Agreed Judgment – June 1, 2018 (Thurston Superior Court #16-2-04959-34)

2 COMMENTS

  1. Glen I would like to add a story from Mason County. Recently I was walking in a parade for a candidate and while waiting to start I ran into a well known Democrat candidate that happened to be running as an Independent, so i asked this know Democrat why would they run as an independent when everyone knows them as a Democrat. The answer floored me. “The Democrat party has gone too far left for me to call myself one anymore.” was the answer I got. This trend is happening here in Mason as well.

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