But Legg said the region's elected officials have not always reflected a liberal electorate. Legg said that when he moved to South Sound in 1950, all county offices and most state legislative posts were held by Republicans. Legg believes the birth of The Evergreen State College in 1971 and the large number of state employees living in the area are major factors in the area's more recent liberal leanings. Since its founding, TESC has had a reputation of having a liberal student body. But Reed, who is a Republican candidate for Washington's Secretary of State position, said the liberal leanings are not a major force in Thurston County ballot boxes.
Most students tend to vote back in their home areas.
Reed echoed Legg. Reed pointed to the topic of gun control, which many see as a partisan issue. Based on voter statistics from a 1997 gun control ballot measure, Reed said 44 percent of Olympia's population voted in favor of gun control, whereas 29 percent of the county voted the same way. As a result of a court ruling, voters will be allowed to cross party lines in the 2000 primary elections, but next year new voting rules will be established by the parties.