It may be no coincidence that Democrats started making a big impact in Island County elections not long after the Whidbey Island Democratic Club was formed 10 years ago.
In those days, Republicans dominated, from U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf down to the large majority of county office holders.
Today, it’s different. Democrat Rick Larsen holds the Second District seat in Congress, and the county seat in Coupeville boasts a host of Democrats, including Commissioner John Dean, Assessor Dave Mattens, Clerk Sharon Franzen, Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks and Treasurer Linda Riffe.
Republicans Mac McDowell and Mike Shelton still control the commissioners’ office, but there are only three other elected Republicans: Auditor Suzanne Sinclair, Coroner Robert Bishop and Sheriff Mark Brown.
On the state level, 10th District Democrat Mary Margaret Haugen wields tremendous influence from her chairmanship of the Senate Transportation Committee. Meanwhile, the two House Republicans, Barbara Bailey and Chris Strow, try to make themselves heard as members of the minority party.
Oak Harbor Democrat Trudy Sundberg, a diminutive but feisty grassroots organizer, has watched the sea change in county politics with a smile on her face. She helped turn the tide in 1997 when, with Capt. Tony Turpin, (USN, ret.), she started the Oak Harbor Democratic Club, which eventually became the Whidbey Island Democratic Club.
It was a risky undertaking in the heavily conservative Republican enclave of Oak Harbor, but Sundberg welcomed the challenge. “When we launched many people said it wouldn’t last,” she said. “That this was a conservative island, especially the north end.”
A few diligent workers kept the newborn club alive during its formative years. Sundberg gives much credit to George Pardington and family, who were always ready to help with parade entries, dinners and other fund-raisers.
“As our voices and events began to be noticed in the community our membership continued to grow,” Sundberg said. The momentum kept building until the watershed year of 2006, when Democrats made their biggest impact ever in the elections.
“This year was a big sweep for the Democrats,” Sundberg said, citing the election of Dean, Mattens, Banks , Riffe and Franzen.
Part of the turnaround Sundberg credits to a series of seminars hosted last year by the Whidbey Island Democratic Club, dealing with, as she puts it, “Spiritual values — believe it or not.” Democrats learned how to communicate those values and take their beliefs to the community. “It got them motivated, people were door belling, and fund-raising to the extreme,” she said.
For the future, Sundberg sees nothing but more growth for the Democratic party, both locally and nationally. “We are part of the rising tide,” she said. In her mind, the Democrats are on the right side of issues people today care about, from ending the war to environmental protection and civil liberties.
“I don’t want to sound arrogant,” said Sundberg. “I’m just so happy.”
