Democrat-Republican Clash In Commissioner's Race

     I'm posting a front-page article that appeared in the Roseburg News-Review, Tuesday, October 21, 2014. As someone who has closely monitored local politics in Douglas County the past 25 years, I find it extremely interesting how "non-issues" that are routinely ignored in some races, suddenly become major brouhahas in other races. And sometimes, people end up sticking their foot in their mouths, when they speak out on an issue, without realizing they were "on the other side of the fence" in other elections. C'est la vie!
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     Four Republicans are running for Douglas County commissioner, but one received his party’s endorsement after a competitor made a campaign donation to a Democrat.

     Douglas County Republican Executive Committee Chairman Dave Germond said the party chose to throw its support to Chris Boice after learning that Gary Leif made a contribution to Kerry Atherton, a Democratic candidate for state House District 2.

     Meanwhile, Douglas County Democratic Party leaders Dean and Sara Byers are now backing Leif, who they say is the more moderate choice among the two front runners, though their party still endorses Roseburg Internet consultant Rita Harris, the only Democrat in the race.

     Leif, 57, a Roseburg photographer, stands by his decision to support Atherton. He said Atherton is a personal friend and is helping him reach out to Democratic voters. Germond said the party’s purpose is to elect Republicans who “support the Republican cause.”

     Leif said he should be free to make donations to anyone he wants.

     “Really honestly that’s what’s wrong with our USA right now is we’re so divided by an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ and that is absolutely why we’re so screwed up right now,” he said. “That’s why we aren’t getting things done and I think it’s a travesty.”

     Germond said Leif is free to donate to anyone he wants, but that freedom is a “two-way street” and Republicans have just as much right to make their own recommendation.

     “It appears to most Americans that when the ‘bipartisan’ word comes up and the Republicans are accused of not reaching out to anybody else that it has the same meaning as the Republicans need to compromise their values every time and the other party, liberalism, has ruled the day and that conservatism has not,” Germond said. “The Republicans have always given up ground and we seem to be losing more ground every day.”

     Boice said he is grateful for the Republican endorsement, but would like to have the Democrats’ endorsement as well. Boice, 42, owner of Big O Tires in Roseburg, said he wants to serve the whole county, not just Republicans.

     “At this point Republicans, Democrats, independents, Constitution Party, we’re all trying to elect the guy who’s going to get in there and work the hardest to represent all the people of Douglas County and I believe that’s me,” Boice said. “I will work just as hard for any person regardless of party affiliation or their personal beliefs. I have respect for everyone and their beliefs regardless of their political affiliation.”

     Boice has taken some heat for his role in a MoveOn.org meeting in July 2011 at River Forks Park, west of Roseurg. At that meeting, the group — consisting of 18 Democrats characterized as mainly women over 65 — disbanded after being heckled by a larger collection of 35 tea party activists who accused them of being communists.

     Though some detractors identified Boice as part of the tea party group, Boice said he attended the meeting not to heckle participants but to learn more about them.

     “I was there specifically to sit down with the MoveOn.org people at their meeting and listen and learn their point of view. I encouraged the tea party people to do the same. I said, ‘Why don’t you just go sit down with them and listen to what they have to say?’” Boice said.

     Boice said after the group moved its meeting to a private home, he knocked on the door but was not allowed in. A video of the event posted on YouTube shows Boice sitting down at one of the tables at the meeting.   

     Rich Raynor, a leader of that tea party demonstration, withdrew his own candidacy for commissioner in July. He said he did not want to split the conservative vote and was convinced after an interview with Boice that the latter was “a philosophical match.”

     Though his opponent suggests he is a tea party candidate, Boice said that depends on how that group, which is not a formal party, is defined.

     “I believe in individual liberty. I believe in personal accountability. I believe in small government. I believe in fiscal responsibility. I believe in a whole bunch of things and if the tea party believes in those things then yeah. And if they don’t then that’s not who I am,” he said.

     Boice said during the commissioner race he reached out to the Democrats too, but was rebuffed.

“They won’t even return a call or an email which I think is unfortunate,” he said.

     Douglas County Democratic Party Treasurer Sara Byers disputes Boice’s assertion. She said neither she nor her husband, Democratic Party Chairman Dean Byers, ever heard from Boice.

Sara Byers said she and her husband have rallied behind Leif because they were impressed by his campaign group, which is made up of half Democrats and half Republicans. She also liked that Leif asked to attend the party’s annual Flegel Victory Banquet in Canyonville on Oct. 4, where he heard Atherton speak and was inspired to contribute $250 to his campaign. Leif also made a campaign contribution to Atherton’s competitor, Republican Dallas Heard.

     Byers said she believes the competition between Leif and Boice is splitting the Republican Party along ideological lines, with more conservative voters favoring Boice and moderates choosing Leif. She said she has been expecting such a split in the party since the “tea party revolution in 2010.”

     “There’s going to be a big crack happening in the party. We’ve seen it play out and now it’s continuing to play out here in Douglas County,” Byers said.

     Other Republicans in the commissioner’s race are Myrtle Creek web consultant Mark Garcia and former Douglas County sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Admire. Roseburg Municipal Court bailiff Dale Rogers is not affiliated with a party.

• You can reach reporter Carisa Cegavske at 541-957-4213 or ccegavske@nrtoday.com.
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 (Listed below are the on line responses that I posted on The News-Review's website.)
Monte Muirhead · Oakland, Oregon

     During the May, 2014 commissioner's race, the News-Review relegated the Republican party's endorsement of candidate Tim Freeman to a sidebar story inside the newspaper. During this race, the Republicans' endorsement of Boice suddenly becomes a front-page headline. Obviously, I had to read the article to see what all the fuss is about in this particular race.
      Yes, it seems odd to me that candidate Leif would donate money to two opposing candidates. What seemed even more odd is the Democratic leaders Byers supporting Gary Leif, while the Democratic committee that they serve on is supporting Rita Harris.
      On the other side of the fence is the strange way the Republican party is making such a tissyfit over Leif's donation to multiple candidates. The Republican committee sure remained mum during the May, 2014 election, when Freeman and other commissioner candidates were all receiving campaign donations from the same source: the Cow Creek Indian Tribe.
      Talk about hypocrisy! I just don't understand why this (one entity giving donations to opposing candidates) has become such an issue in this race, while it has been ignored in other races? I am registered as a Republican because I believe in fiscal conservatism (fewer taxes) and smaller government (more personal freedoms). Right now, both the Douglas County Democratic and Republican executive committees are making it difficult to feel proud in belonging to any party.

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Monte Muirhead · Oakland, Oregon

     This situation brings back memories of when, 1990s-2000s, members of the Douglas County Republican Executive Committee were openly working on (then) Democrat Joyce Morgan's bid for county commissioner. Would someone from the Executive Committee tell me WHY it is okay for Republican Executive Committee members to publicly work on a Democrat's candidacy during the primary...but suddenly it's wrong for Gary Leif to donate to both a Democrat and a Republican?