The annual Dorchester conference kicked off on Friday night, led by a parade of Republican legislators and candidates, one by one running down the aisle, slapping enthusiastically upraised hands, and demonstrating that, in the words of Rep. Linda Flores,  the party is ready to be re-energized.

Flores opened the conference holding a copy of the day’s Oregonian, pointing to the lead story entitled “For Oregon GOP, only way to go is up.” Flores found inspiration in the words, declaring that in fact, ‘the only way to go is up and we’re going there.”

“We have to be on the same page, the same team, we will start here tonight,” Flores said.