The Oregon Republican Party elected former congressional candidate Art Robinson as its new chairman Saturday, putting an end to a months-long controversy over party leadership.
Chairwoman Suzanne Gallagher stepped down late Friday, just ahead of a recall vote brought by party officials accusing her of mismanaging the party and its finances since her February election.
Party leaders worked quickly to switch the recall effort into an election for a new chair which Robinson ultimately won on the third ballot in a 55-52 vote over party vice-chair Bill Currier. A third candidate, Larry Martin, was eliminated in the first round of balloting.
In a statement to party members announcing her resignation, Gallagher said the squabble hurt the image of the party.
"The events in the last couple of months are a testimony to why Republicans are not seen in a good light," Gallagher said. "The actions of some members have demonstrated the character flaws perceived by the public as uncaring, angry and antagonistic."
But critics of Gallagher said her resignation will allow the party to move forward.
Greg Leo, who worked as a senior staffer for the party for five years but left the party in June after disagreements with Gallagher over fundraising, said her resignation will let the party move on.
"She could have done it earlier. I think it would have been less stressful on the party. But it's a good thing that she did," Leo said. "We need to pull the party together to move forward in the 2014 election cycle."
Republicans face challenges in organizing voters and electing candidates statewide in Oregon, where Democrats hold a 181,000-voter registration edge. But the 2010 election was a boon for the party, leading to a tie in the Oregon House of Representatives and a narrow loss for Republican Chris Dudley in the governor's race.
Democrats retook the House in the 2012 elections, buoyed by high turnout driven by the reelection of President Barack Obama. Republican strategists hope the coming election cycle, which doesn't feature a presidential race, will play out more like 2010. But a misstep in fundraising or organizing could upset those hopes.
In her statement, Gallagher said that if the Oregon Republican Party is perceived as "divided and dysfunctional," funding from national Republican groups could suffer.
"I encourage you to work together and continue to promote conservative political values in the state of Oregon," Gallagher wrote.
Jim Moore, a political science professor at Pacific University, said it's unlikely any turmoil in the state party -- or who leads it -- will impact national fundraising next year.
"The national money goes for strong candidates," Moore said. "It doesn't necessarily depend on what's going on with the local state party."
Moore said it's also not likely the new chair, without the statewide name recognition of Allen Alley who led the GOP before Gallagher, will play a major public role.
"The chair of the Republican party is either a crucial player because there's no other statewide face of the party," Moore said, "or almost totally irrelevant to voters."
Robinson, a chemist and outspoken skeptic of human-caused global warming, ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., in 2010 and 2012. He ran for the party chairman position in February but was eliminated in the first round of balloting.
Lisa Michaels, a supporter of Gallagher's, said she was sorry to see her resign but was excited that Robinson got the job.
"He's hard-working and he does the right thing for the people," Michaels said.
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