Add New Seasons co-founder Eileen Brady to the list of Democrats who might run in the party primary next year to find a challenger to U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.)
Brady, 45, told WW today that she has been seriously considering a challenge to Smith for about six months and has been talking with local, state and national officials about a run.
“It seems obvious we need a strong candidate,” says Brady, who lives with her husband, New Seasons co-founder Brian Rohter, in Mount Tabor. “I’ve always wanted to run for office as soon as our children were grown and out of college.”
Brady says she has gotten a lot of encouragement to run but is undergoing “one more gut check” before deciding whether to enter the race. Democratic activist Steve Novick announced his run in April.
Brady has never run for office before and styles herself as a “political outsider.” But she says she grew up in a very political family outside Chicago, where her parents helped to run congressional campaigns and she recalls with a laugh that she was a “precinct captain at 12.”
In addition to starting New Seasons with Rohter, Brady’s experiences include founding the food and farm program at EcoTrust and serving on the board of Zenger Farm in Southeast Portland.
Meanwhile, a second candidate whose name has surfaced among insiders as a possible Democratic contender is Rey Ramsey. Ramsey is the chief executive of One Economy Corp., a nonprofit he cofounded in 2000.
Ramsey, a 46-year-old former state director of Housing and Community Development, tells WW that he has spoken with some Democratic party people about the contest. Ramsey would not go into specifics about those conversations, but does say that he very much enjoys what he is doing and has “no plans to run.”
Though Ramsey works in DC, he still has a place in Portland’s Pearl District. 
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Yeah riiiight. Why would anyone vote for her? Because she is an ‘outsider’? Please! Stop the madness! That woman needs more qualifications besides opening a yuppie food store. Does this mean the founder of Coca-Cola, Taco Bell and Safeway are all going to run for President in 2008?
It’s always nice to hear about people wanting to get more involved in politics, since we only get as good a government as we are willing to give. That’s why I’m excited to be supporting Steve Novick, who’s been fighting the good fight for years, from Love Canal to Bill Sizemore to school funding. We know where he stands, we know what’s important to him, and we know he’ll show how out of touch Gordon Smith is to Oregonians.
Hey Mike,
What was Smith’s qualification? He ran a frozen food company before running (and losing) for the senate to Wyden, than reconstructed himself as a “moderate” to win.
So what exactly is Gordo’s outstanding qualification over Ms. Brady?
Face it Mikey Boy, this is a BLUE state, with only one state wide “Con-Dumb” who every 5 years, sheds is “Con-Dumb” skin like a snake, and tries to disguise himself as being in step with the majority of Oregon. And once safely back in his senate seat, kisses the Republican “Con-Dumb” agenda, including supporting the dumbest of the “Con-Dumbs” Bush.
Gordo voted for the war, before he started voting against it? Isn’t that why Kerry isn’t president?
It’s time to send Gordo packing (pun intended) and elect anyone else with a true blue agenda.
“Does this mean the founder of Coca-Cola, Taco Bell and Safeway are all going to run for President in 2008?”
The Coca-Cola General Counsel ran for Governor of Mass. last year and won.
Wow! Eileen Brady running…we should be so lucky.
She has impressive leadership qualities and has done some pretty amazing work with both Ecotrust and the Roots of Change council.
Mentioned at the bottom of the article is Rey Ramsey. Eileen Brady is a light weight, but Ramsey is an interesting take on this…a long-time poverty warrior, big-time Oregon and DC connections, an African-American, proven track record in raising millions and from what I hear a fantastic and inspiring speaker.
Whatever we may believe, Gordon Smith is formidable candidate and needs a powerhouse candidate. I don’t think that Novick or Brady fit that bill, though, because of his downstate cred, Senator Alan Bates.
Gosh, I read that New Seasons pulled and energy drink, I think Rock Star, off the shelves because they are owned by a son of Michael Savage?
Is this typical of what we could expect? Would she push to eliminate free speech? Is she from the ‘Angry’ left that HATES all thing not extreme left?
We don’t need more angry politicians.
Considering her husband’s duplicitous anti-union history at New Seasons’ predecessor (Nature’s), I wouldn’t trust her as far as I can throw her.