Oregon Public Broadcasting

Democratic Congressman Brian Baird has yet to leave office, and yet no less than ten people have expressed an interest in running for his seat.

Baird has represented Southwest Washington in Congress for a little more than a decade. But  his decision not to run again in this year’s mid-term elections is turning 2010 into a marquee political year for the region. April Baer reports.

At this point in the year, picking a Congressional rep is about the last thing on Jean and Harry Morrow’s minds.

They’ve got other things to think about.

Jean Morrow:  “We’re gonna drive over to a house we were looking at to purchase that we were very interested in. “

The Morrows live in Clark County, and like many, many people in the 3rd Congressional District, they’ve taken some real economic knocks in the past few years. Jean’s a sales rep for a water company, and also sells insurance on the side.

Jean Morrow:  “People are going with higher deductibles, they’re cancelling, and going back to bare minimums on their policies.”  

Things aren’t much better at Harry’s job.

Harry Morrow:  “I’ve been a route salesman for Franz bakery for 34 years.”

Every day he visits supermarkets and  fast food restaurants all over the county – businesses that are cutting back.

Harry Morrow:  “My sales have also been affected by the economy, in that this year I made ten thousand dollars less than the year before.”

By Southwest Washington Standards, Harry and Jean are actually pretty lucky. Neither of them lost jobs, despite the county’s thirteen percent unemployment rate.

Their ten kids are grown. It’s just the two of them – and one great big house they can’t sell.

Jean Morrow:   “Our house has depreciated a little over $100,000 in a little less than a year or so.  I knew property had dropped, but it had dropped more than I anticipated.”

Both the Morrows say their economic situation has been a major factor in forming how they feel about politics these days – along with their reservations about the scope of government power.

Dore Jean is another Clark County voter who sees politics through an economic lens these days.

Dore Jean  “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been personally affected by it, or who doesn’t know someone who’s been affected.”

Jean is co-owner of the Naturally Healthy Pet store in Camas, Washington. She says her business has been doing well this year. But she can easily see how the government’s decisions about the fiscal crisis and the recession attracted so much voter attention.

Dore Jean:  “They’re going to want to know how those decisions will be made by the individuals that represent us.”

Anyone who wants to command the attention of voters in the 3rd District, from coastal Pacific County to Skamania residents on the west end of the Gorge, will have to have something to say to voters like the Morrows – and Dore Jean.

It’s a balance that Brian Baird struck successfully for many years.

Nansen Malin  “While we liked Brian I think he realized that he’d have a hard time with the mood of the district.”

Nansen Malin is a Republican businesswoman who lives on the far west end of the 3rd District, near Long Beach, Washington.

As a state party official, she says the healthy competition of at least five  GOP candidates is a good thing. But she says it’s always important to remember the people who have moved to Northwest during  Baird’s term, either to retire, or get away from big cities.

Nansen Malin  “I see the demographics really changing in our county. Whoever it is is going to have to move beyond the core of either party. They’re going to have to get the indepebndent voter and the undecided voter. We all have our core, but what wins the races is who those independents vote for.”

Malin says while the race had already attracted a lot of interest, she thinks Republican Scott Brown’s Senate victory in Massachusetts may provide an extra jolt for conservative candidates -- and voters.

With reps like Baird resigning, prospects for Republican gains in the House are better than some strategists dared hope for.

But others watching the race from the Democratic side say they hope the seat will remain in a blue one.

Dwight Pelz:   “There’s no question these midterm elections will be challenging for both Democrats and Republicans.”

Dwight Pelz is chairman of the Washington State Democratic Party. He acknowledges the past year hasn’t been smooth for the Democratic President and Congress, but says that’s not the whole story.

Dwight Pelz:    “The American people need to understand Barack Obama inherited a lot of challenges from George Bush. I hope the American people and voters of 3rd district pause for a minute and consider the problems we’re facing.”

Five Demcorats have expressed an interest in running for Baird’s seat. It’ll be a while before both parties have an official list of candidates.

One of the mystery factors affecting this closely-divided district is the legacy of last summer’s political activism.

Brian Baird started to see the writing on the wall when confronted by angry activists who shouted their disapproval at town hall meetings.

Tomm Hann: “He put a lot of ammunition in our guns that we intended to bring to bear during this next election. Then he decided to resign and basically stole the firing pin from that gun."

That’s Tom Hann. An engineer by trade, he’s become involved with a group called We the People, which gained its political momentum during the summer’s town hall meetings, challenging the health plan proposed by Congressional leaders.

We the People is not a political party. It won’t run candidates, and won’t provide material support for candidates it endorses. But Hann and others are promising that they’ll be closely vetting candidates from both parties this year, in the runup to the August primary.