Blue tide could sweep Flores off her legislative feet

Fearful of a possible early and involuntary retirement from the Oregon legislature, Republican State Rep. Linda Flores stated yesterday at a Round-Up for Republican women that voters need to stop the "blue tide" of Democratic control. A tide that could sweep her out of her seat if it grows too high. Flores is facing a serious challenge from Democrat Brent Barton, a youthful associate attorney at Perkins Coie in Portland. Barton raised more campaign cash and has doubled what Flores has in her bank account.

In a district where Republicans continually out-perform Democrats, where most voters are pro-life and despise illegal immigrants (which appeals to many resident labor union members in the district), Barton faces an uphill challenge if he leans too far on his friends from the left. However, this district also showed vast support for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary, proving that the "change" rhetoric could sway some independents to the left. This is definitely a race to watch.