Another rural county has voted to break off from blue-state Oregon and join its red-state neighbor by reconfiguring the state border, the latest victory for the grassroots movement called Greater Idaho.

Crook County voters approved by 53-47% the Greater Idaho resolution asking if they want to enter into negotiations to relocate the border, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election.

The vote made Crook the thirteenth county to approve the measure, a proposal rooted in frustration with the Democrat-controlled Legislature dominated by Portland and coastal lawmakers with little knowledge or appreciation of the priorities of eastern residents.

Mike McCaw, Greater Idaho executive director, said the “voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward.”

“With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes,” he said. “We call on the governor, speaker of the House, and Senate president to sit down with us and discuss next steps toward changing governance for eastern Oregonians, as well as for the Legislature to begin holding hearings on what a potential border change will look like.”

The resolution passed despite the recent emergence of a “no” campaign run by Western State Strategies in Portland, which surfaced in last year’s race in Wallowa County. The county passed the Greater Idaho resolution by just seven votes.

“Last year in the Wallowa County vote, Portland groups outspent Greater Idaho over 4-1,” said Greater Idaho. “The movement suspects the same was true this year.”

The goal is to relocate the border between the two states by moving 14 full eastern Oregon counties and three partial counties, or about two-thirds of Oregon’s land mass, to Idaho.

“For the last three years we’ve been going directly to voters and asking them what they want for their state government,” said Greater Idaho President Mike McCaw. “What they’re telling us through these votes is that they want their leaders to move the border.”

Moving state borders can be done. Oregon’s border was tweaked slightly in 1958, while West Virginia’s border was moved to bring in counties from Virginia in 1863.

At the same time, the hurdles are significant. Any such reconfiguration would need to be approved by the Idaho and Oregon state legislatures as well as Congress.

Oregon lawmakers have yet to embrace the idea, but the Idaho House passed a nonbinding memorial last year to encourage talks between the states.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.