BY SARAH ROSS

PORTLAND- Nearly three weeks after the release of the last Chris Dudley advertisement attacking John Kitzhaber’s record as governor, the Kitzhaber campaign released their own ad on Thursday bringing into question Dudley’s experience for the job.

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz1UxwBiwA0

Shortly following the release of this advertisement, the Dudley campaign sent out this web video response.

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44q6HXArY0

BY SARAH ROSS

State Sen. Chris Telfer, R-Bend

PORTLAND- With just under three months until November’s general election, candidates in Oregon’s race for State Treasurer have been working tirelessly to build their campaign war chests.

Republican candidate State Sen. Chris Telfer, R-Bend, has raised just over $23,500 in 2010. One of her more recent contributions has come from the wood producer Interfor, who gave $500 to Telfer’s campaign.

Bend radio “Money Talk” show host Bill Valentine, who also owns a wealth management firm in Bend, gave $2,500 to Telfer’s campaign in April, which has been one of the largest contributions she has received in several months.

The man currently holding the position of State Treasurer, Democrat candidate Ted Wheeler, has brought in nearly $288,000 in 2010.

Wheeler has gained contributions from some of the larger businesses around Portland, including $2,500 donations from Nike and Regence BlueCross BlueShield and $3,000 from Schnitzer Steel Industries and the media measurement and research company Rentrak.

Other notable donations include two of the biggest checks Wheeler received, written by the local ASFME public employee union, which totaled $9,000.

Wheeler also received $1,000 from former GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Saxton and the current Attorney General John Kroger.

In June, Telfer also received $250 from the Health Center Political Action committee, while in May she received $2,000 from the energy company PacifiCorp and $500 donations from the pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp and T-Mobile USA.

Like Telfer, Wheeler was also given a $2,000 check from PacifiCorp.

State Treasurer Ted Wheeler

On the Political Action Committee side, the United Transportation Union gave Wheeler $600, Teachers Voice in Politics gave $1,000, the Oregon Education Association gave $50,000 in in-kind contributions, and the SEIU’s PAC Citizens Action for Political Education gave a $20,000 in-kind contribution and a $10,000 cash contribution.

For full listings of campaign contributions click the respective links:

Chris Telfer

Ted Wheeler

BY SARAH ROSS

PORTLAND- In Portland’s Director Park on Friday morning, media mogul Steve Forbes announced his support for Senatorial candidate Jim Huffman.

Huffman, running as the Republican candidate against incumbent Ron Wyden, welcomed support from Forbes, calling it a “boost” to the campaign.

Huffman’s wife Leslie was formerly employed as an editor at Forbes magazine, which Huffman said likely helped him in getting the endorsement.

Forbes, however, stated that Huffman is an ideal candidate, being a citizen who came out of the woodwork due to concern for the country.

A small group of protesters dressed in cocktail dresses and three-piece suits cheered on the announcement, saying Huffman will help to save jobs for billionaires if put into office.

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5xoeU7xcWI

BY SARAH ROSS

Image via johnkitzhaber.com

PORTLAND- The John Kitzhaber campaign announced Thursday that Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire will be hosting a fundraiser next Thursday for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

The campaign is calling the event a “unique opportunity to meet two western governors that share the same core Democratic values, whose states face similar obstacles and opportunities.”

Taking place on August 11 at NW 11^th and Glisan in Portland’s Pearl District, the campaign is asking for a $100 donation from each guest in attendance.

“Like John, Governor Gregoire is a champion of middle class job creation, healthcare accessibility and environmental stewardship,” wrote Kitzhaber’s Finance Director, Leah Barbaree, in the event invitation. “Both share a lifelong commitment to their home state and recognize the need to build consensus as a community in order to meet the challenges that lay ahead.”

BY SARAH ROSS

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber and former Sec. of State Bill Bradbury

PORTLAND- More than 2,000 Oregonians registered with Oregon’s Independent Party participated in the party’s primary race which finalized its results on Friday evening.

The primary, which was the first binding statewide online primary election in the country, picked a unique mesh of candidates including John Kitzhaber, Democratic candidate running for Governor, as well as Republican candidates Scott Bruun, candidate for the 5^th Congressional district and Art Robinson of the 4th Congressional district.

“If you look at the candidates who put the most effort into winning the party’s nomination, pretty consistently those were the candidates who won,” said Sal Peralta, Secretary for the Independent Party of Oregon. “The folks who actually listened to what our members were telling us they were interested in tended to do well, also.”

The 2,300 primary participants made up about 4 percent of the Independent Party’s 57,000 members. The group was able to push through state legislation in 2009 which allowed them to include candidates running under another party’s name on their primary ballots. The legislation allows a candidate to have up to three nominating parties on the general election ballot, as well.

Peralta added that one of his party’s main goals with their 2009 legislation was to encourage candidates to reach out to its members, and he was happy to see this happen.

“This is clearly the most open and inclusive primary election in state history,” said Peralta. “It’s the first time ever that candidates from every political party or none at all had the opportunity to participate in a partisan primary nominating process.”

On a state government level, winners of the Independent nomination include Democrat Representatives Arnie Roblan of Coos Bay, Nancy Nathanson of Eugene, Carolyn Tomei of Portland and Speaker Dave Hunt of Clackamas. The truly independent nature of members showed through in the additional nominations of Republican representatives Matt Wingard of Wilsonville, John Huffman of The Dalles, and Vicki Berger of Salem.

The State Senate had similar results with Betsy Johnson, D-Scappose, Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, Chris Edwards, D-North Eugene, Larry George, R-Newberg, Jackie Winters, R-Salem, and Frank Morse, R-Albany.

Peralta concluded by saying he is hopeful that this process will lead to greater collaboration between Democrats and Republicans when the Legislature returns in 2011.

BY SARAH ROSS

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley

PORTLAND- A new poll released on Tuesday continues to show this year’s gubernatorial race to be a close one, despite fundraising efforts telling a different story.

Rasmussen Reports, the firm conducting the poll, stated, “Little has changed in the race to be Oregon’s next governor, with Republican Chris Dudley and Democrat John Kitzhaber still running neck-and-neck.”

The poll puts Dudley just three points ahead of Kitzhaber with 47 percent to 44 percent. Five percent of respondents preferred another candidate, and 4 percent are undecided.

With only a three percent difference, the results fall well within the poll’s +/- 4 percent margin of error. The campaign fundraising, however, is not as close as polling on the race has been.

Kitzhaber, the former statesman and Oregon governor, has raised $1,334,001 so far in 2010, while former professional basketball player Dudley has raised a whopping $2,210,664 in this election cycle.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber and former Sec. of State Bill Bradbury

As of July 28, The Cook Political Report still classified the race as leaning Democratic, meaning it is in the category of races considered competitive but where one party has an advantage.

Senior Editor at the Cook Report Jennifer Duffy said the race is a good example of an outsider attempting to take on an established politician.

“It’s one of five in the country where you have a former governor seeking his old job back, which is kind of interesting considering how tough it is to be governor these days,” said Duffy, adding that it should be a “good race.”

Duffy noted that while it is currently listed as a lean-Democrat state, implying that party has a small advantage, it could be moving into the more competitive section.

“It would not surprise me if sometime over the next couple of months I move it into toss-up,” she said.

She also mentioned that this kind of movement happens all the time and that this race alone is a good example, since it started as a likely Democratic state and has since moved to leaning Democratic.

When asked what factors go into determining how a race is moved from one category to another, she said that fundraising and good polling are the biggest things to consider.

“I got sort of a first answer when I saw their fundraising numbers. So obviously Dudley is proving he can raise money,” she said. “I’d like to see some good polling because the polling that I have seen has left something to be desired. They do show a single digit race, but I’d like to see a live interview poll. And so that will be the other factor.”

BY SARAH ROSS

PORTLAND- With the end of the second quarter in 2010, congressional candidates across Oregon have released their fundraising data.

State Rep. Scott Bruun, R-West Linn, sent out a release shortly before financial data was due to the Federal Election Commission. The Republican candidate hoping to unseat freshman Congressman Kurt Schrader raised $198,000 between March 30 and June 30. This has been his strongest quarter in the election so far, with over $150,000 coming from individuals and just over $13,000 coming from political action committees (PACs).

His Democrat opponent, incumbent candidate Kurt Schrader brought in $247,567 during the same financial period. These funds were split with $96,009 coming from individual contributions and $151,500 coming from PACs.

In Oregon’s 1^st Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Congressman David Wu raised $282,031 for his campaign. Wu’s war chest for the second quarter was also split between political action committee money and individual donations. He received $178,031 from individuals and $104,000 from PACs.

Wu’s GOP opponent, political newcomer and Tualatin businessman Rob Cornilles, has brought in just over $202,059 in the second quarter. The majority of Cornilles’s contributions, $184,259, came from individuals, yet he did receive $17,900 from political action committees.

Republican incumbent Congressman Greg Walden has raised over $204,384, with a majority of his money coming from political action committees. Walden has received $67,634 from individuals and $136,500 from PACs.

Walden’s Democratic opponent, Joyce Segers, has built up her electoral war chest by only $4,631 in the second quarter, with all but $1,100 of that coming from individuals. The $1,100 not from individuals came from “political party committees.”

Portland Democrat Congressman Earl Blumenauer raised over $168,947 during the March to June fundraising period. Blumenauer’s contributions came mostly from political action committees, with $122,000 coming from those groups and an additional $46,948 coming from individuals.

Delia Lopez, Blumenauer’s Republican competition, has raised $19,234 in the second quarter, which came entirely from individual donations.

Democrat Congressman Peter DeFazio, who represents the Eugene area and much of central and southern Oregon, grew his war chest by $121,896, with $61,500 coming from political action committees and $60,396 coming from individual donors.

DeFazio’s Republican rival, Art Robinson, brought in $169,260. Robinson donated over $10,000 to his own campaign and received $250 from PACs. The remainder of his contributions, $158,527, came from individuals.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR

BY SARAH ROSS

PORTLAND- An internal poll released Wednesday brings into question the electoral safety of long time Senator Ron Wyden.

Portland based polling firm, Moore Information, made public their survey results paid for by the Huffman campaign which showed that 37% of Oregonians support a GOP candidate for Sen. Wyden’s seat while 36% favored the incumbent Democratic Party. Twenty-eight percent of respondents remained undecided, as of when the survey was performed on July 10^th.

The poll questioned a “representative sample of 500 likely voters in Oregon” and had a 4 percent sampling error with a 95 percent confidence level.

Moore also found that 44 percent of respondents believed Sen. Wyden deserves reelection today while 45 percent would prefer a new candidate and 11 percent are still unsure.

The survey also found that after mentioning a number of statements about Huffman’s background and views, he led over Wyden with 47 percent to 38 percent.

In addition to the questions regarding the Senatorial race, Moore also questioned respondents on a number of national issues.

The poll showed that 59 percent of Oregonians believe the country is on the wrong track while 29 percent think America’s headed in the right direction.

Republican senatorial candidate, Jim Huffman

Further, 45 percent of respondents approved of President Obama’s performance and 50 percent disapproved of the job he’s doing. This is compared to the daily Gallup poll which puts Obama’s approval at 44 percent and disapproval at 48 percent as of July 15th.

In the memo to the Huffman Campaign, Bob Moore, President of Moore Information, said Sen. Wyden is vulnerable because “he is an incumbent U.S. Senator in an election year where many voters are demanding a change in congressional leadership.”

Moore also said that Wyden’s voting history does not match the views of Oregonians on issues including Cap and Trade, federal spending and the deficit, health care reform, immigration, and terrorism.

“Huffman is in a position to retire Senator Wyden because his views on these issues are more in-line with the mainstream of the Oregon electorate,” said Moore.

Sen. Wyden has served in the U.S. Senate since 1996 and was reelected in 2004 with 63 percent of the vote. A Rasmussen poll released at the end of May found Wyden leading with support from 51 percent of respondents to Huffman’s 38 percent.

In a release sent to the press on Thursday, Jake Weigler, campaign manager for the Wyden campaign said the poll memo “failed to provide an unbiased head-to-head comparison between Wyden and Huffman,” pointing to the method of polling respondents only after providing information about the candidates.

“Huffman and Moore are releasing laughable poll numbers to distract reporters from their as-yet unreleased fundraising numbers due out today,” said Weigler in Thursday’s release. In the same release, Weigler noted that Wyden has thus far raised $977,000 for the quarter ending on June 30^th.

The Huffman campaign, however, saw the poll numbers as positive.

“I am confident in Bob Moore, who’s been polling for almost as long as Ron Wyden’s been in Washington, DC,” said Huffman’s campaign spokesman, John Vinson. “He’s one of the most well respected pollsters in the Northwest and in the country.”

Vinson noted that running against Sen. Wyden is not an easy task but that the “people of Oregon want a new voice in Washington to stand up for them and who really isn’t interested in a Washington, DC career, but is interested in bringing jobs back to Oregon.”

DISCLOSURE: Jim Huffman is an unpaid academic advisor for the Cascade Policy Institute, parent organization of the Oregon Politico.

BY SARAH ROSS

David Edwards and his family (Image from Friends of David Edwards)

HILLSBORO- Oregon’s general elections have faced a second unexpected candidate withdrawal with the announcement Tuesday that incumbent candidate David Edwards will not be running for re-election in 2010.

In a press release sent out by the House Democrat’s Future PAC, Edwards cited his wife’s health as his main reason for dropping his bid.

“I’ve struggled with this decision,” Edwards said in Tuesday’s release. “But as much as I want to continue to serve my hometown in the State Legislature, my family must come first.”

Edward’s wife has been suffering from an autoimmune deficiency since 2006 and has shown recent irregularities in her blood work, causing concern for the family.

In the same statement, Edwards announced his support for Banks schoolteacher Doug Ainge to succeed him.

“I feel confident that Doug Ainge would do a great job as the next State Legislator for District 30. Doug is an educator and coach and is well-prepared to take on Salem,” said Edwards.

Soon after Edwards’s announcement, his Republican opponent Shawn Lindsay told the Oregon Politico that his message will not change.

“Regardless of whether I’m running against David Edwards or any other person, my message will remain the same,” stated Lindsay. His message, he said, was to promote job growth and fiscal discipline and to prioritize education.

Lindsay also noted that he didn’t know if he had a better chance running against an incumbent or an unknown.

“Whether or not I have a worse chance or a better chance, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll just continue working as hard as I can to earn the votes of the voters,” said Lindsay.

Edwards was first elected to his seat in Oregon’s House District 30 in 2006 and has since served on the Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development, which he chairs.

The Hillsboro native is the founder and CEO of a high-tech market and research firm and holds two Master’s Degrees in English Literature and Public Affairs.

As the incumbent, Edwards won his 2008 election by over 4,000 votes over his Republican opponent, Andy Duyck. In 2006, he beat Republican Curry Everett by just over 3,000 votes.

This is the second unexpected withdrawal from House elections this fall. Republican candidate Chael Sonnen withdrew for “personal reasons” late last month. Republicans are expected to choose a candidate to replace the Republican who was running for the seat held by Rep. Scott Bruun, R-West Linn.

BY SARAH ROSS

Republican Candidate Aaron Crowley, Image courtesy Aaron Crowley for State Representative on Facebook

TUALATIN- In a release sent to the media on Thursday, small business owner Aaron Crowley announced his desire to run as the Republican candidate for the State House seat left vacant by Rep. Scott Bruun, now the GOP’s opponent for Congressman Kurt Schrader, D-Canby.

“This election is about jobs and the future economic health of Oregon,” stated Crowley in the press release. “I can bring common sense, private sector experience to Salem that will help government live within its means and make it easier for entrepreneurs to create jobs.”

Crowley owns a granite countertop company, Crowley’s Granite Concepts, Inc, and serves on the Planning Commission for Washington County. He also authored a book, Less Chaos More Cash, targeted at expanding small business operations.

Thursday’s press release also noted endorsements for the Tualatin businessman coming from Rep. Scott Bruun and Lou Ogden, Mayor of Tualatin.

This announcement comes following the notification that Ultimate Fighter Chael Sonnen would be withdrawing his name from the Republican nomination for the 37^th House District.

Sonnen told Fight! Magazine that he was leaving the race for legal reasons although some have blamed his withdrawal on remarks interpreted as being racist which were made on a Twitter account linked to his name.

The Oregon’s 37^th House District, encompasses West Linn and parts of Tualatin and Lake Oswego. Because primary elections were already held, the Oregon Republican Party will need to hold a “nominating convention” to elect the candidate, presumably Crowley, who will carry the Republican title in November’s general election.

Whoever is chosen to run as the Republican nominee will go on to face the Democratic candidate Will Rasmussen. In 2008, Bruun won the 37^th House District with just over 2,000 votes, making the seat vulnerable for Republicans in November.