Oregon Public Broadcasting

Voters in the western U.S. added a little blue to their region's generally red electoral map last November.

Democrats from throughout the inland West met over the weekend to map out how to keep that momentum going. Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports from Worley, Idaho.

Alexis Huguenin chairs the Democrats' Western States Caucus. She labels the Inland West as the new South. Win one state in the region and you can win the presidency.

Huguenin says Barack Obama won traditionally conservative Nevada because he visited the state several times.

Obama's success there trickled down. Several Western Democrats won U.S. Senate seats. Here in Idaho, Democrat Walt Minnick defeated a Republican incumbent to win a seat in the U.S. House.

Huguenin says Democrats have to continue with that big tent approach.

Alexis Huguenin: “If you can open up the conversation without looking at the ‘D' and talk about the values, I believe that the Democratic values are American values and they're where the American people want to see this country go.”

This is the first time Democrats have brought a regional meeting to Idaho. They say that's evidence their party is making gains even in the Gem State.