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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 3, 2004 C.W. Smith stops by the Republican Party celebration at the Red Lion Hotel in Medford. He is the apparent winner of the Jackson County commissioner�s race. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell C.W. Smith edges Densmore If his lead holds, the county board of commissioners will have two Republicans By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Former Jackson County Sheriff C.W. Smith apparently is back in public office after narrowly defeating Sue Densmore Tuesday in a contentious county commissioner’s race that showcased divergent environmental views. Smith, an Eagle Point Republican, edged Densmore, a Medford Democrat, by 52.6 percent to 47.2 percent of votes cast, or 45,274 votes to 40,598 votes, according to unofficial county tallies. Total votes were 86,004, with 132 write-ins. The 57-year-old former lawman and popular fund-raising emcee said he initially didn’t expect the race to be so close. Densmore, 54, who runs a communications strategy business, declined to acknowledge defeat Tuesday night. "I’m not going to concede yet," she said. "I’m going to think about this until morning." Advertisement Smith credited his apparent win with a multifaceted approach to campaigning and said Densmore’s characterization of his views on local air quality backfired. "I couldn’t figure out why people said I was for dirty air," he said. "I think voters saw through the negative campaigning on her part." Densmore disagreed. "We didn’t do anything negative," she said. "We just told the truth. He changed his mind on clean air several times." Smith, who called the preliminary voting tallies "pretty solid," addressed a room of cheering supporters, many dressed in Republican red, late Tuesday at Medford’s Red Lion Inn. "I look forward to working with (county commissioner) Jack Walker," said Smith, who served as sheriff from 1983 to 1994. "I guarantee you we will have clarity of government." Smith also expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming passage of Ballot Measure 37, a land-use initiative aimed at restoring property owners’ rights and overturning state land-use decisions. Critics of the measure claimed that it could bankrupt communities and snarl state zoning laws. Smith said it would create more affordable, usable land. "It frees up home sites for young families who can afford a home," he told the election night crowd. Smith’s win creates a Republican-dominated board of commissioners. Dave Gilmour, a Democrat, previously had worried publicly about being "marginalized" by a similar pairing, but he downplayed such a scenario Tuesday. "If it’s 2 to 1, it’s 2 to 1," he said. "That’s how it goes." Gilmour said if he decided not to run again next year, it would be because of fatigue, not party politics. "I’m really getting tired out doing both jobs," said Gilmour, who’s also a practicing doctor. The Smith-Densmore race featured sharp divisions emphasized by the two candidates. Air quality dominated debates and conversations, particularly a proposal by state Department of Environmental Quality officials to ease Jackson County’s regulations on industry. Faced with opposition from 5,000 local residents and the possibility of stricter new federal air pollution regulations, the DEQ withdrew its proposal in July. It continued to resonate in the commissioner’s race, however. Densmore opposed the plan to relax standards and said the county needs to encourage low-polluting businesses. Smith, who formerly supported the proposal, called it "moot" after its withdrawal and said that the county must balance the need for clean air with the need for economic development that will create jobs. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers