GRANGEVILLE -- It's been a long dry spell for Democrats in Idaho County, but the desert appears to be blooming once again.
After nearly two decades, Democrats are starting to reorganize and fill long-vacant precinct committee seats. A recent organizational meeting of the central committee drew about 60 people, and 24 of the county's 26 precincts now are filled.
"It was just amazing to me the number of Democrats who showed up," says John Richardson of Kooskia, who has been active in the county party since the mid 1950s.
"There have been many times we haven't had enough to have a quorum."
Richardson started working with the party the year the late Sen. Frank Church began his political career. For many years, all but one of the county offices in Idaho County were filled with Democrats.
In the mid 1980s, however, party participation began to decline and Republicans started running for, and winning, county seats.
Now all but two county officers -- Assessor Jim Beckman and Treasurer Sharon Cox -- are Republicans.
Two of the three District 8 legislators are Republicans --Sen. Skip Brandt of Kooskia and Rep. Ken A. Roberts of Donnelly. Rep. Charles D. Cuddy of Orofino is a Democrat.
Richardson says the decline of the party was partly due to the lack of leadership in the past two decades.
However, an influx of new people moving into the area also weakened the party, he says, as well as legislative redistricting in the 1980s and 1990s that patched together Idaho, Clearwater, Lewis and Valley counties like a crazy quilt.
"When they redistricted and changed the legislative districts around, then there was not so much emphasis on the county," Richardson says. "It was on the district, and that was the main thing that killed party politics."
A few party faithfuls, such as Richardson and former state Sen. Ron Beitelspacher of Grangeville, continued to maintain at least a Democratic presence, but in the past year more people have taken an interest.
Richardson attributes that to growing dissatisfaction among county residents over their voices not being heard by county politicians.
Linwood Laughy of Kooskia, the new chairman of the Idaho County Democratic Central Committee, says people just wanted to see a two-party system in the county again.
He says the reorganization is not linked to the recent recall effort of two Idaho County commissioners, Pat Holberg of Mount Idaho and Alice Mattson of Kooskia.
"I think there were a lot of folks out there who forgot there really are Democrats here," Laughy says.
"I think it's going to be a very active group. Part of the feeling is that we really do need to have two parties in the county and ... there's an important voice that needs to be heard, particularly on local and state issues."
Idaho County Republican Central Committee Chairman, Gary Thompson of Grangeville agrees.
"We encourage the Democrats to organize," Thompson says. "It's supposed to be a two-party system, so they should organize."
Thompson says the Republican Party remains strong in the county and all 26 precincts have been filled with committee chairmen.
Laughy says Idaho County Democrats plan to support local and state candidates and explore how the party can become more active. They plan to resurrect the long-time tradition of holding a Democratic fund-raiser at the Greencreek Community Hall, which used to draw big-name politicians such as Church and former Gov. Cecil Andrus.
The committee is starting out with only $500 in its bank account, but Laughy is confident the treasury will grow as the party becomes more visible.
"Our broader purpose is to create a very strong organization that can have a very effective voice in the county," Laughy says. "I think you'll find that we'll be active players in the political process."
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Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com