Hillary Clinton edged out Barack Obama in the nationwide Super Tuesday primaries, but she got clobbered in Deschutes County.
Not that there was a Democratic primary in Deschutes County, or anywhere else in Oregon, on Tuesday - that won't happen until May. But the senator from Illinois far outpaced the senator from New York in a straw poll taken at the Deschutes County Democrats' Super Tuesday Party at the Bend Community Center. With about 90 people voting, Obama captured 72% of the vote to Clinton's 23%.
In the contest for the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Sen. Gordon Smith, the candidate generally regarded as the establishment choice fared better. Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley got 71% of the vote, trailed by Portland progressive activist Steve Novick with 23%, David Loera with 3% and Candy Neville with zilch.
In the race among four Democratic state senators for the Oregon Secretary of State nomination, Kate Brown led with 52%, followed by Brad Avakian with 34%, Vicki Walker with 9%, and Rick Metsger trailing with 5%. In the contest for attorney general it was John Kroger with 77%, state Rep. Greg McPherson with 23%.
