DPO: ‘We hope the next DNC leader will continue Gov. Dean’s model’

The Democratic Party of Oregon was saddened by the news that Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean will step down from his post in the beginning of 2009, as reported by Politico.com.

According to the report, Dean plans to honor his commitment of serving a single term as party chair. During his tenure, Dean saw the Democratic Party earn two of its biggest wins in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

“Governor Dean’s service was a tremendous boost to Democrats in Oregon, “ DPO spokesman Marc Siegel said. “The Democratic Party in Oregon is more organized and has more reach because of him.”

Siegel said that Dean’s 50-state strategy, which mandated that Democrats have a political presence in every state in the country, translated into Oregon’s 36-county strategy. In that strategy, Oregon Democrats looked to increase their influence in counties outside of the Willamette Valley, and it resulted in Democrats having greatly increased support from counties along the coast as well as in central Oregon.

“He also helped with resources,” Siegel said. “He sent staffers to Oregon in 2006 to help with Gov. Kulongoski’s re-election. And he helped expand the party’s reach into all sections of Oregon.”

Several prominent national Democrats have been floated as Dean’s replacements, including former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebilius (D-Kansas).

Siegel did not commit the DPO to supporting one of those candidates, but said he has confidence that whoever President elect Barack Obama picked for the position would serve the party well in the next election cycle.

“Barack Obama ran an incredible grassroots system, and we hope they’ll continue that model,” Siegel said.