Washington state Democrats won’t let Republicans go unchallenged this year, according to new Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz.

The party recently added a full-time PR person and plans to add another, he said. It unveiled a revamped website and plans to field candidates in most districts statewide.

It also plans to go for gut issues: “Last time, Republicans got us with guns, gays and God. Now we have a ‘G’ — gas,” Pelz told a group of about 40 party organizers at a recent meeting in Renton.

But will it be enough? Gas costs have fallen slightly in the last month to an average of $3.04 a gallon statewide, according to AAA. While that’s still almost 70 cents more than a year ago, the change suggests that gas could be a short-lived issue.

Meanwhile, to many, “guns, gays and God” remain a constant threat. And it seems that Democrats who are close to those issues may be in the party’s crosshairs.