One of the things that makes the upcoming Oregon primary unusual is the fact that, for the first time, the state has three designated major parties on the ballot.
Let’s look at what the Independent Party of Oregon brings to this election.
This is the Independent Party’s first-ever publically-funded primary. The party was founded in 2007, and last year won major party status by signing up more than 5 percent of registered Oregon voters.
Right out of the box, the party is going against the grain by holding an open primary. So – unlike Oregon’s Democratic and Republican Parties, which require you to register as a party member before you can vote to select their candidates -- any voter can get an Independent Party primary ballot.
Party secretary Sal Peralta notes that nearly a quarter of Oregon’s registered voters are non-affiliated – that is, they belong to no party.
“Those people have absolutely no voice in terms of who appears on the general election ballot,” Peralta says. “And we felt that as a party that exists to provide more choices for voters in places where there typically is very little choice, we thought it was important to open up our process to as many people as we could.”
So, non-affiliated voters can request an Independent Party primary ballot, without joining the Independent Party. That said, your choices on that ballot will be limited. For one thing, there are no presidential candidates.
“We’re a statewide party,” Peralta says. “We don’t have any national affiliations and we have really focused on state-level issues.”
Peralta says the Independent Party is running candidates for governor, state treasurer and US senator, as well as a number of legislative districts. He says most legislative districts in the state are reliably partisan, with either the Democratic or Republican candidate almost assured of winning the seat.
“What we hope to do is provide a viable third party alternative in a lot of districts where there’s currently not a lot of competition.”
One place that’s happening is in the 28th Senate District in southern Oregon. There, a Republican candidate filed for the office minutes before the filing deadline. The next day, the Republican incumbent withdrew, leaving the new candidate as the only name on the ballot in a conservative district where Democrats often don’t even try to run. Another Republican is now running a write-in campaign. But Todd Kepple is seeking the Independent Party nomination for that seat.
“We’ve heard a lot of folks in just the last few weeks here in Klamath Falls and around the 28th Senate District who say they’re really just kind of fed up with both of the major parties and they wish there was another choice,” Kepple says.
Kepple isn’t an Independent Party member. In fact, he’s a registered Republican. And that’s OK with the party. Their policy is to allow members of other parties to run on the Independent Party ticket as long as they agree with the party’s agenda and work toward its goals. Todd Kepple says that, as a moderate Republican, he’s fine with that.
“Especially with such points as calling for more transparency in government and standing up for consumer protection. Those are issues that I feel very strongly about.”
That ecumenical approach is in keeping with the Independent Party’s centrist vision. On the other hand, that lack of a distinct ideology leaves it open to accusations that it’s not even a real political party.
Last summer, the state Republican and Democratic parties released a survey that claimed nearly half of registered Independent Party members didn’t realize they were in a party at all. The Dems and Rs suspect many Independent Party members thought they were registering to be independent of any party. Independent Party officials dispute that.
What kind of impact is a new major party likely to have in Oregon? University of Oregon political science professor Joseph Lowndes says the turmoil in the two main parties could create an opportunity.
“At times when there’s fierce fights within parties, people are drawn into the parties at that moment,” Lowndes says. “These are moments of realignment, where new voters are brought into the system, struggles happen, new cleavages form within and between the parties, and parties then reorganize themselves on the bases of new political issues.”
The question is whether the Independent Party of Oregon can position itself to become a haven for disenchanted voters who might fall away from the Democratic and Republican parties.
Independent Party leaders say they hope someday soon to win a handful of legislative seats, which could allow them to block either of the main parties from dominating state government.
To register to vote or change your party affiliation, go to Oregonvotes.gov.
The deadline for registering for the May 17th primary is Tuesday, April 26.
