Relegated to the margins of power, the Oregon Republican Party will get a new leader next weekend to take a fresh stab at putting the party on a path back to relevance.
After narrowly losing his bid to become Oregon's first Republican governor in 24 years, Chris Dudley has returned to the rhythms of private life, running the charitable Chris Dudley Foundation and working as a financial adviser.
Actor Daniel Baldwin has been granted a restraining order against his wife and filed for divorce, claiming she punched him, threatened him with a knife in front of the couple's children and made threats of violence and death "too numerous to list."
If those attending the Dorchester Conference in Seaside this weekend had a chance to vote for a Republican presidential candidate, 30 percent would cast their vote for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Oregon Senate Republicans have called for a two-year suspension of all new rules by state agencies because they say excessive regulation hurts job growth.
It was bound to happen. In the media, where everyone is anxious to get out the news to the waiting public, it was only a matter of time before someone called a race prematurely.
For all of Tuesday night into Wednesday morning Republican Chris Dudley held substantial leads over Democratic Party challenger John Kitzhaber. All that changed when the final ballots out of Multnomah County were added up. Dudley has now conceded defeat.
Democrat John Kitzhaber was whittling down a slim lead by Republican Chris Dudley as the last ballots were being counted statewide in the race for governor.