More than 300 people filed to run for office in Oregon, as of Tuesday’s filing deadline. In an election year dominated by races for President and for Congressional control, Oregon’s elections are shaping up to be the kind of year in which power is consolidated. April Baer has this wrap-up.

Oregon’s Republican party has had an especially hard time with recruiting this year.

It’s frustrating for Republicans like state House 5th District candidate Sandra Abercrombie, who urged fellow Republicans to join the fray, at last weekend’s annual Dorchester Republican gathering.

Abercrombie said, “We’ve got a couple of slots that are empty in the state of Oregon because nobody ran. Everybody, when you go home, get on your computer, run for something!”

No GOP candidates have filed for State Treasurer or Attorney General. That latter race has former federal prosecutor Dwight Holton running against former Appeals court judge Ellen Rosenblum in the Democratic Primary.

One Republican incumbent who decided not to run is State Senator Jason Atkinson. His decision surprised some observers. He’s had a rough couple of years. Both his wife and his son battled cancer. Atkinson accidentally shot himself and went through a long recovery.

Atkinson explained, “When you’ve gone through a near death experience like I have, you really do know who your friends are, the people who like you, not because of what your title is. You get to the point where you say ‘What do I really value?’ I feel called to public service, but I also feel a peace at maybe taking a break.”

Atkinson says he’s not done with public service. He’s proud of the bills he passed – and his longevity.

He said, “I’ve survived the very worst. On the Democratic side when I was drawn out of my House in 2000. And on the Republican side, Republican politics are very, very toxic right now.”

But between the long commutes to Salem, the low pay, and the support his family needs, he’s ready to sit out for 2012. Meanwhile some other GOP incumbents, like Bend’s Chris Telfer, will have to spend money on unexpected primary challenges.

While Republicans are running in all five Congressional districts, most are contenders who struggled in recent general elections.

Melissa Unger is Executive Director of FUTUREPAC, the group founded to support Democrats in the Oregon House. She says other factors are lining up in the Democrats’ favor this year.

Unger told OPB, “A lot of these local races are driven by the national context. I believe Obama will do well in Oregon. That can only help our local candidates.”

Three seats are on the ballot for the State Supreme Court. Traditionally these non-partisan races remain low-key. But this year’s races could become high-stakes quickly. Two of the seats are competitive, and in one state supreme court race, an appointed incumbent faces no challengers.

Commissioners in fiscally strapped Lane and Curry Counties will seek re-election, at a time when they’re making hard budget decisions. In Lane County, alone, seven candidates will compete for two seats.

At the top of the ballot, the presidential candidates include President Obama on the Democratic side, and on the Republican side Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

And at the local level, in Portland, there are 23 entrants for Mayor.

One of them is, Cameron Whitten who grew up in Virginia, in what he calls a volatile home. He hopped a bus west and landed three years ago in Oregon, becoming a familiar face on the front lines of the Occupy Portland protests.

Whitten, who’s 20 years old, lives on the street. Since Occupy, he’s been thinking a lot about where the movement’s momentum should go.

Whitten explained, “The first thing I would do is give the people an independent avenue that bypasses city councilors and a way for them to influence city policy. I want to give neighborhoods the ability to compel public testimony of their officials.”

The state’s primary wraps up May 15.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.