“It’s just a disingenuous ploy, and we shouldn’t stand for it,” said an obviously annoyed Tom Donnelly at the 26th District Democrats meeting the day after bridge-toll opponent Randy Boss announced his intention to challenge incumbent 26th District Senator Bob Oke (R-Port Orchard) — and do it as a Democrat.

“If came down to him or Bob, I’d have to vote for Oke,” chimed in Beth Wilson, who opposed Oke in the last election four years ago.

Boss, an outspoken opponent of tolls on the newly approved second Tacoma Narrows Bridge, ran two years ago for Representative Pat Lantz’s (D-Gig Harbor) state House seat as a Republican. But this time, he has filed as a Democrat to take on Oke, whom has championed getting the Narrows Bridge built.

He will face off with Democrat Betty Ringlee of Gig Harbor in the Sept. 17 primary election.

The 26th District Democrats fervently disavowed Boss’ candidacy during its regular monthly Saturday morning meeting held at the Olalla Community Club. The vote was unanimous and the participants passionately chastised Boss for exploiting the state’s open primary system.

“We, as the local Democratic Party of the district he wishes to represent, believe this to be a blatant political effort to manipulate the state’s electoral process, an attempt to confuse voters, and an endeavor to prevent true Democratic candidates from being represented this November,” said 26th District Democrats chair Melissa Lund.

In a statement, Boss answered the charges of blatantly manipulating the system by saying he could have run as an independent, but wouldn’t have been taken seriously. He sees the move as his only opportunity to extend the debate until November, saying his main choices to make that happen were to file as a Democrat or a minority party, in which case he would either be eliminated or marginalized. Boss did not return phone calls requesting additional information and clarifications by presstime.

Meanwhile, the 26th District Democrats lampooned Boss’ approach as “disingenuous and overtly political,” and the assumption he can beat Ringlee, an assistant to Pierce County Commissioner Karen Biskey and Peninsula School Board president, as “arrogant.”

According to Lund, Boss has never attended a 26th District Democrats meeting or convention and has never supported the Democratic platform.

There is a precedent for the disavowing Boss. The 26th District Democrats also rejected Dusty Wiley two years ago when he ran as a Democrat in the primary of the Kitsap County commissioner race — after running as a Republican two years before. He ran as a Democrat anyway and ultimately clobbered incumbent Democrat Charlotte Garrido, knocking her out of the race, before losing to current Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel in the general election.