Defecting GOP voters probably affected local races
By Nick Claussen
Athens NEWS Associate Editor
May 1, 2008
Republicans who switched over to the Democratic Party for the March primary probably changed the outcome of the county commissioners’ race.
In the seven-person Democratic primary race, Jim Pancake and Charlie Adkins tied for the lead, and Pancake won the nomination on a coin toss.
The official recount showed that Adkins and Pancake each received 2,853 votes.
The Athens County Board of Elections is still tallying the number of people who switched parties for the primary. However, preliminary totals show that at least 399 people switched to the Democratic Party for the election, and at least 130 switched over to the Republican Party.
The Democratic primary was highlighted by several big races, including local campaigns for Athens County sheriff and prosecutor, and the presidential race.
Many people likely changed parties for the opportunity to vote in these races, while some may have just changed political beliefs and want to be identified with the Democratic Party.
The Republican primary in Athens County also had a contested county commissioner race, but their presidential race was mainly decided by the time of the primary.
These Board of Election figures are from the people who signed cards pledging they wanted to be part of the other party, but not everyone who switched parties was asked to sign a form.
The Board of Elections staff is still checking the numbers of people who switched but did not sign forms.
On the day of the primary, Ohio University student James Williams said in an interview with ThePalestra.com that he voted for Clinton in the Democratic primary as a way of helping his preferred candidate, Sen. John McCain.
Conservative radio hosts were reportedly encouraging people to do this, and e-mails were also sent out with this idea.
Olivea Oldham said she was one of the people who switched from the Republican party to the Democratic Party, but she said it was because she had been thinking about changing parties for a long time.
“I just thought every year, I’m on the fence,” she said. She thought it would be difficult to change parties, she added, but found it was very easy.
With McCain having the Republican nomination for president wrapped up, it was also enticing to vote in the Democratic primary where she could have a say in the presidential election, she said.
Oldham confirmed she received e-mails asking Republicans to vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, and knows of one Republican who was stopped by another and asked to vote in the Democratic primary for Clinton in an attempt to defeat Sen. Barack Obama.
(That thinking among Republicans has undergone some revisions in recent weeks as Clinton has had strong showings in primaries, and Obama has faced various controversies.)
One area resident who asked not to be identified said he switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in the primary partly because he wanted to vote for the Republican presidential candidate.
He added that he often switches back and forth, and votes more for the people, not for the party affiliations.
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