Commissioner Boyd Britton

Blue Mountain Eagle

CANYON CITY – Grant County was true to its dominant GOP roots in last week’s election, with vote trends in some key races running counter to statewide results that embraced Democrats for top jobs.

Oregon voters gave Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber an unprecedented fourth term, besting Republican Dennis Richardson.

They also re-elected Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley over his GOP challenger, Monica Wehby.

In the county tally, both incumbents lost to their Republican foes.

However, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, the only Republican in Oregon’s congressional delegation, won re-election to his post, with Grant County’s help. He defeated Bend Democrat Aelea Christofferson.

Also winning in Grant county and his broad Eastern Oregon district, state Rep. Cliff Bentz, an Ontario Republican, cruised to a new term in the Oregon House.

Grant County’s uncertified results for all candidate races can be found on Page A7.

Although Grant County has a relatively small population, the voter turnout was strong – 76 percent, according to Clerk Brenda Percy.

In local balloting, Grant County Commissioner Boyd Britton was unopposed in the general election and easily won re-election. He will be the last to win that seat in a partisan race, as county voters approved a local measure that will change the commissioner jobs to nonpartisan, starting in 2015.

While the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races drew much of the state’s attention leading up to the election, they shared the spotlight with some controversial statewide ballot measures.

Here’s a look at the measures, by how they fared statewide, along with Grant County results:

PASSED STATEWIDE

• Measure 87 – state judges in other government roles, failed in county 1,886 to 1,267

* Measure 89 – equal rights amendment, failed in county 1,719 to 1,418

* Measure 91 – legalization of marijuana, failed in county 2,155 to 1,167

FAILED STATEWIDE

• Measure 86 – state debt for student financial aid, failed in county 785 to 2,369.

* Measure 88 – driver ID cards for immigrants, failed in county 425 to 2,849

* Measure 90 – the top-two primary, failed in county 2,058 to 1,123

* Measure 92 – GMO labeling, failed in county 2,260 to 1.041