as reported in the Ventura County Star 1-27-10

The first voter-registration report of this election year shows Democrats have widened their lead over Republicans among Ventura County voters. The report submitted to the secretary of state reflects registrations as of Jan. 5. It shows there are now 13,444 more registered Democrats than registered Republicans in the county, up from a difference of 11,829 a year ago.

As a percentage of the total, Democrats now make up 40.1 percent of the county electorate, compared to 36.9 percent for Republicans. Nonpartisan, or “decline-to-state,” voters make up 18.3 percent, with the remainder registered as members of the American Independent, Libertarian, Green or Peace and Freedom parties.

The new report reflects a continuation of a trend that saw Democrats surpass Republicans on the county voter rolls in 2008, reversing more than 20 years of GOP dominance in the county. At the same point two years ago — 154 days before the California primary — Republicans in the county were still clinging to a 2,200-vote advantage. Since then, Democrats have registered steady increases in all areas of the county, closing the gap in Republican strongholds in the east county and widening their leads in Democratic areas of the west county. Over the two years, Democrats have increased their percentage of registered voters by 1.3 percent in Simi Valley, 1.4 percent in Thousand Oaks, 2.4 percent in Ventura and 2.5 percent in Oxnard.