well, they just called the race in PA. Sestak beats Specter. As a PA native, I am pleased but not surprised. Not that I disliked Specter, but it was time for new blood.

It's shaping up to be an interesting night. Right off the bat, you have to say that Dems are looking good. Murtha's seat stays Dem. Sestak has a better chance of winning the general than did Specter, and if he does, the Senate will shift left on that seat.

GOP is having a rough night. Rand Paul crushed Trey Grayson, which makes it a double loss. That will make for interesting Wed-morning armchairing.

Kind of shocked at how poorly Chuck Currie is fairing so far. Thought he would be doing better than 6%. Five other candidates are doing better than he is so far.

Races worth noting in Lane County: In CD4 'Da Faz" will be smacking down Art Robinson in November.

While most of the state leg postitions were non-races down here there was one competitive R primary over in Coos Bay. Rep. Jean Cowan will be going toe to toe in November with Becky Lemler.

The Eugene City Council is welcoming back Pat Farr.

On the Lane County Commish: the corp developers will be happy to know that Faye Stewart is still in their corner. Welcome back to the Commission Jerry Rust. And maybe Sid Lekin can hire his mom to answer phones for him at his shiny new commissioner desk.

The OSU Lane Extension Levy was smacked down which means if the Extension does stay open it will be a skeleton of what it has been. I wouldn't be surprised to see them close up shop completely.

And finally (and this is really only important to me). My little town of Coburg will be getting our sewer system. (We are currently the largest incorporated city in Oregon that is still 100% septic).

Interesting races: Blanche Lincoln in a statistical tie with Bill Halter. Susan Castillo barely leading gun-totin' Ron Mauer.

Congratulations to Mary Stern on winning a third term on the Yamhill County Commission by defeating Mary Starrett.

Nuts to the Loren Parks and his machine for spending $50,000 in the Republican Primary to narrowly defeat Steve Griffith, for whom I did a couple of mail pieces.

Looking at the general election crystal ball in the state legislature I believe we'll see at least 7 house districts and 4 senate districts as highly contested races.

<u>State Senate</u> Morse-Rayfield Barton-Thomsen Bates-Dotterer Starr-Riley

<u>State House</u> Weidner-Sokol-Blosser Esquivel-Howe Kennemer-Forsberg D. Edwards-Lindsay Cowan-Lemler VanOrman-Johnson Stiegler-Conger

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I agreed with Bradbury on issues but voted for Gov/Doc because he is easily the smartest guy in the room.

Like a friend once said, you say issues, I say kazoonhite! Life is about results, not dandy ideas.

Marshall, those Lane County Commission races are apparently going to runoffs. Neither Rust nor Leiken managed to clear 50%. Leiken in particular got only 41%, and I predict the runoff with progressive Pat Riggs-Henson is going to be the biggest local race in Lane County in November. It's possible that Val Hoyle or Bruce Hanna might have to fight for their state legislative seats, but Hoyle got twice as many votes than the Republican in the primary, with both running unopposed in their nominations, while sara Byers, the Democrat against Hanna, got double Hanna's votes...but only in the Lane County part of the district. It's the Douglas County part that usually gets Hanna over the top.

I predict all incumbent state legislators in Lane County will win re-election fairly easily, probably with long coattails from Kitzhaber and Wyden. Rust will also win and keep the progressive Commission majority with Sorenson and Handy against Stewart. The question is whether Springfield will choose Riggs-Hanson (27% in the primary vs. Leiken's 41% in a field of seven candidates), who will be able to actually work with the majority like Bill Dwyer did, or will they stick with Mama's Boy Leiken, who will be an ineffective laughing stock.

The Eugene City Council may have moved to the left just a little, with the only change being the election of Pat Farr. I remember he used to be a regular Republican troglodyte, but he's mellowed out a little over the years, and it's hard to see how he could be any worse than Jennifer Solomon was.