A red flag: In a hopeful year for Democrats, many Idaho Legislature races go uncontested

In a year when Idaho Democrats hope to ride presidential coattails to success in state elections, nearly 40 percent of state legislative races are uncontested by the party.

"There are seats that we could have, would have, should have, liked to have candidates for," said Idaho Democratic Party spokesman Chuck Oxley.

Democrats hold only 26 of 105 seats in the Legislature, and Republicans hold every statewide elected position. The GOP has held the governor's office for the past 14 years. Idaho hasn't gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964.

But Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama drew 14,000 people to a February speech in Boise, and his visit bolstered participation in the Idaho party's political caucuses a few days later.

"It appears at this point a missed opportunity for the Democrats in not filling those seats, but that's more easily said than done for a party that struggles to even maintain major party status in this state," said veteran Idaho political watcher Jim Weatherby, a retired Boise State University professor.

Many of the 39 races the Democrats are not contesting are in some of the deepest red areas in the country, like Canyon County and the eastern Idaho town of Rexburg. But some potentially competitive districts also have no Democratic contenders.

Sen. John Andreason and freshman Rep. Lynn Luker are two Republicans running unopposed in Boise's District 15, the last Boise district with Republican representation and one thought by many observers to be vulnerable to Democratic challengers.

In Andreason's case, state Democrats did field a challenger, Matt Yost, but he was disqualified after the Secretary of State ruled that he had not registered to vote in time in his district. Luker, however, simply went unopposed, even though he is a freshman - and therefore not as safe from challenge as longtime legislators often are.

Having momentum and having viable candidates don't always coincide, Oxley said.

Some strong potential challengers wanted more time to prepare for a run and are sitting it out until 2010, and that will help the party be better prepared for the next election, he said.

"I hope (Republicans) reach across the aisle and give us a big handshake when people like Lynn Luker get into office only because they were unopposed, because this is the last year they get a freebie," Oxley said.

Idaho GOP Executive Director Sid Smith said, "That's nice that (Democrats) are looking to do that kind of thing in the future. We're looking to do it today."

Several other Treasure Valley Republican candidates are also without Democratic competition. Among them are Senate candidates Chuck Winder in District 14 (Eagle, Star, northern Meridian and far northwest Boise), Brad Little in District 11 (Gem and northern Canyon counties), and Rep. Darrell Bolz in District 10 (central Canyon County).

Former Democratic Chairman Richard Stallings left in January, timing that Oxley acknowledged may have further hampered efforts to find candidates. He was replaced by Keith Roark, a Hailey lawyer.

State Democrats also trail in the money game, with about $65,000 cash on hand to the Republicans' $106,000.

Republicans point out that they are running candidates in all but nine races, including several in heavily Democratic Boise districts. Two Boise Democrats, Reps. Anne Pasley-Stuart and Bill Killen, do not face Republican competition in their re-election bids.

Democrats have been little more than a vocal opposition in Idaho since the 1990s, a fact many attribute largely to former President Bill Clinton's overwhelming unpopularity in the state.

Jasper LiCalzi, the chairman of The College of Idaho's Department of Political Economy, isn't convinced Obama will do much for Democrats down-ticket. But he does think the party should have done a better job fielding candidates for competitive races.

For Idaho Democrats to get a real bump, they will need much more than Obama, LiCalzi said.

"If they could get George Bush to run for a third term, that would help," he said.

Oxley said no one has any illusions that Obama is going to get Democrats significantly closer to parity in one election. But Democrats profess confidence in a 10-year plan hatched in 2005 to get back to parity by 2015.

"Idaho has moved off of ruby red, but it's not purple yet," he said.

Heath Druzin: 373-6617