The May primary election has come and gone, and in Deschutes County, much of the oxygen went toward the races for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners. That body will see two additional members next year. In the wake of the election, these are some observations we’ve made about our region’s changing political landscape.
Non-affiliated voters need a voice in the primaries.
Because most of the candidates who ran for county commission were affiliated with, or endorsed by a political party, it’s natural for voters to assume that nothing has really changed — that in spite of voters approving a move to a non-partisan commission in 2022, the parties still drive the process. But while it’s true that the parties — and their endorsements — are still a big part of the conversation, the move to a non-partisan race did do one important thing: It let non-affiliated voters take part in the primaries. NAVs are the biggest voting bloc in Deschutes County, outnumbering Democrats by nearly 10,000 people. The high number of NAVs is often attributed to Oregon’s automatic voter registration, but whatever it is, it’s well past time to let this voting bloc have more of a say in elections in the state. This was one step closer. It’s like ranked-choice voting, light.
A nonpartisan election got more people involved.
The turnout for this off-year, primary election was higher than it has been previously. Non-partisan participation was certainly part of that equation.
Even with a non-partisan election, the area is swinging wildly blue. Non-partisan primaries hit different and require a different approach.
In recent elections, it was the Bend City Council that moved entirely blue. After voting ended this May, it appears that Deschutes County is next. While we still have two races to decide upon for the commission in November, the front-runners in all of the four races are affiliated with the Democratic party. Even with so many non-affiliated voters in the mix, something about Democrats’ messaging resonated with voters. This may be a lesson for those affiliated with the fringes of their parties in the region — their messages need to be more middle-of-the-road. Undoubtedly, the low approval ratings for the highest-ranking Republican in the U.S.A. are impacting other Republicans around the nation. Voters seem to be screaming for a moderate vision.
Be cautious of supermajorities.
While winning at anything can feel great, in the political arena it has its shortcomings. If there is no substantive representation for conservatives on the County Commission in the fall, a large number of community members will have no outlet for their views in the decisions that shape the region. Supermajorites breed frustration and anger in an electorate. A lack of diversity in political representation also stifles meaningful debate in the chamber itself, leading to a more secretative process where discussion is done out of the public view. Supermajorites may be well-meaning in moving forward legislation, but can lack the authenticty that a grand, public back-and-forth allows. None of us want to go back to the rancor of the last Commission – but there was hope that five commissioners would better represent the entire community. For that, we’ll have to wait and see.
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