At county Republican headquarters, Tuesday marked a quiet end to a fairly subdued campaign.

The party faithful who gathered in the building on Columbia Avenue to watch results trickle in Tuesday evening formed a small, largely mellow group. It acknowledged few eyes were on the GOP, as Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama raced for Pennsylvania's delegates in the Democratic primary.

"Our race was decided before it even got here," Joel Hess, a Republican committeeman from East Petersburg, said. "We didn't really have a choice."

"But look out for November," Crystal Hess, his wife and fellow committee member, added.

"Everyone needs a week or two to sit back, collect themselves and take stock," she said. "Then we'll hit the war room."

County committee chairman David Dumeyer said the next several months are more important than the last few were. "We've been trying to focus on what's going to happen after the (primary) election and start gearing up for the fall," he said. "We haven't been sitting around idly."

One of the tasks ahead is getting Republican voters who switched registration this spring to switch back.

"If my precinct is any reflection, a number do want to come back and be Republicans again," he said.

State Rep. Bryan Cutler said bringing wayward Republicans home by fall isn't vital because they can vote either way in the general election.

"The bigger issue is getting them re-registered by the next primary," he said.

Cutler, who ran unopposed in the 100th District, said it was "an easy primary," but "we've been working quietly behind the scenes."

"The next big blip of excitement will be the vice president picks," he said. "I'm certainly looking forward to the fall race."

Not everyone thought the last few weeks were quiet, however. Party volunteer Kelli Baker said the countdown to Tuesday had "been crazy."

"We've been focusing a lot more on local politics. It's been hectic," she said. "We've been getting the word out."

Local politics don't draw media attention the way national campaigns do, she said.

"The last six weeks, everything has been focused on Pennsylvania — but it's all about Obama and Clinton. (Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John) McCain never came to Pennsylvania, but he really didn't have to."

That will change once the battle for November's general election begins, Baker predicted.

"We'll be pulling for him around here," she said. "I don't know if he knows how huge this place is for Republicans."

Steve Stettner, a volunteer poll worker, said GOP activity "was drowned out" by Democratic fireworks.

Things will heat up once Democrats select a candidate, he said. Stettner said he's not concerned about who wins the primary, however: "McCain has an equally good chance against both."

State Rep. Katie True, who was unopposed for re-election in the 41st District, said Republicans "never had to pay so much attention to a Democratic primary" as they did to this one.

But she, too, isn't worried who gets the party nomination.

"I'm pretty confident McCain can handle either one," True said. "He'll hold his own."

County Treasurer Craig Ebersole, who is not up for re-election this year, is equally confident.

"I don't know that it's my place to pick their losing candidate," he said.

The Hesses from East Petersburg, on the other hand, are pulling for Clinton to win the primaries.

"I think we have a better shot at taking her out," Joel Hess said. "Obama is an unknown, and that's appealing to people."

The only big local contest — a race among Lloyd K. Smucker, Paul Thibault, Steve McDonald and Bill Neff for the 13th District — made for an even quieter evening at Republican headquarters, Hess added.

Instead of gathering at a central party location as usual, he said, many Republicans gravitated to individual parties held by the candidates.

E-mail: tknapp@lnpnews.com