New chairwoman says her task is to transform discontent with Trump, Republicans, into energy to persuade voters to back like-minded candidates and policies.

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Democrats are riled up by President Donald Trump and Republicans, but the new Washington County Democratic chairwoman says her challenge is to transform that energy into action.

Louise Currin of Aloha links that action to "all politics is local," a phrase coined by Tip O'Neill, the one-time Democratic speaker of the U.S. House.

"Our concentration will be on getting out Democrats for local elections," she said in an interview.

According to a February report, Democrats make up 39 percent of the county's 339,611 registered voters; those not affiliated with a party, 29 percent, and Republicans, 26 percent.

Currin hopes to build on the network the county party has developed in the past few years of neighborhood leaders who reach out to like-minded people to discuss policies and promote candidates.

She said the number of volunteers has surged since Nov. 8.

"As a result of the election, a lot of people do not like what happened nationally," she said. "So we have people coming into our office in Hillsboro signing up as volunteers."

At a county party meeting Jan. 25, the first since she defeated Rosa Colquitt of Tigard and Gerritt Rosenthal of Tualatin after the election to become chairwoman, about 150 people showed up — more than the 60-100 that were typical pre-election turnouts.

"It was the biggest turnout I have seen in 10 years" aside from special events, said Bill Kroger of Beaverton, an author and party supporter.

"There is not a lot we can do directly" against Trump, he said, "but Louise has talked about the things we can do."

About half of the county party's 284 precinct committee positions were filled by election in the May 2016 primary. Currin said since Nov. 8, their ranks have grown by more than 40.

Currin and Colquitt ran to be a Democratic National Convention delegate pledged to the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Colquitt, then the county party chairwoman, was among those chosen for the delegation, which had a majority for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Currin, 71, is a retired secretary with Portland Public Schools. She was politically active in her union but got serious about the county party when she became its second vice chair in 2014.

As part of the party-building effort, Currin said county Democrats have authorized a Black Caucus and will reactivate its Latino outreach committee.

Preparing candidates

Currin also hopes to establish an endorsements committee and provide training, financial support and organizing for candidates for local offices. She said the effort would build on existing programs offered by the state party, labor unions, and Emerge Oregon, the latter focused on preparing Democratic women to seek public office.

Although their elections are nonpartisan, Currin says school boards, special districts and city councils are sources of future candidates for county, state legislative and statewide offices.

"We are also going to support a good candidate for county commission chair" in 2018, when Andy Duyck's second term ends.

While the chairman and the four county commissioners also are elected on a nonpartisan basis — two of those seats also are up in 2018 — Currin said Democrats hope to achieve what happened in next-door Clackamas County. The board seats there also are nonpartisan, but voters Nov. 8 replaced two registered Republicans with two Democrats.

Unlike Clackamas County, however, the Washington County board has remained relatively stable. Duyck was a commissioner 16 years before he was elected chairman in 2010; Roy Rogers is starting a ninth term, and Dick Schouten is starting a fifth term. Bob Terry and Greg Malinowski are near the end of their second terms.

Schouten was unopposed in 2016, and Rogers turned back a challenge from Glendora Claybrooks of Tualatin, an active Democrat, to win re-election.

"The public impression is that people think it's a well-run county," Currin said. "If the general public saw horrendous things that were going on, it probably would be easier to elect a Democrat."

Local voters "just do not pay attention to what is going on in their own backyards as much."

Malinowski and Schouten are Democrats.

Changed outlook

Washington County was home to the most recent Republican governor, Vic Atiyeh, who left office in 1987. But in the past 25 years, the county has been increasingly Democratic in contests for president, U.S. senator and governor — and is largely represented by Democrats in the Oregon Legislature. Republicans won the county for president most recently in 1988, and for senator and governor, in 2002.

Several Republicans represent legislative districts that extend into Clackamas and Yamhill counties. Rich Vial of the Schools area won the open House District 26 seat, which includes part of Clackamas County, that was vacated by a Republican in 2016.

Democratic Sen. Richard Devlin of Tualatin is the co-chairman of the Legislature's joint budget committee, and Democratic Sen. Mark Hass of Beaverton is chairman of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee. Part of Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick's district also takes in Washington County.

"I think it benefits us that we have that advantage," Currin said. "However, until there is revenue reform, I doubt there are a lot of serious things that can happen."

Currin said she is concerned about what will happen with education and health care in the next two years with a projected $1.8 billion gap between anticipated income and services.

"As long as we have progressives in there, at least we will see some good choices with the money we do have," she said.

Oregon is just one of six states with Democratic governors and legislative majorities.

Coming together

Although Oregon's seven electoral votes for president easily went to Hillary Clinton, a majority of Oregon Democrats sided with Sanders over Clinton in the 2016 primary. But Currin said the Trump presidency and Republican congressional majorities have galvanized many Oregon Democrats to minimize disagreements.

"If we have any chance of electing progressive candidates, we are going to have to come together," she said. "If we do not, I cannot see any way we elect them. I think the majority of people really do want to work together.

"There is some disagreement on how we get to where we need to be. But I think the realization is that we all have to get there together. There is no disagreement on where we want to go."

By Peter Wong
Reporter
(503) 385-4899
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