The Oregon Republican Party rebounded strongly in candidate recruitment this year after a dismal 2008. Two years ago, the GOP failed to field a candidate in 23 of 75 legislative races. This year, only two of 76 legislative races lack a Republican candidate.
But filings with the state show one thing has not changed much—the Democratic legislative caucuses are still attracting the lion’s share of contributions.
This year, Senate Democrats, who hold an 18-12 majority, have raised $470,000 and have $621,000 on hand. Senate Republicans have raised $212,000 and have $52,000 on hand.
In the House, where Democrats hold a 36-24 majority, the disparity is even greater. House Democrats have raised $505,000 and have $600,000 on hand. House Republicans have raised $257,000 and have just $6,000 on hand.
The parties use their caucus funds to support candidates in competitive races. Of course, much could change between now in the fundraising climate between July and November. But for now, GOP donors seem to be focusing their giving on the governor’s race, where GOP nominee Chris Dudley reported raising another $102,000 yesterday, including $10,000 from Michael Keiser, the developer of Bandon Dunes golf course.
Tags: Chris Dudley, House Democrats, House Republicans, Michael Keiser, Oregon, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans
Nigel –
It’s not generally the ORP actually recruiting candidates especially for State House or State Senate races. Your first line would lead readers to believe the ORP does the recruiting and is therefore behind in fund raising for those candidates.
Democrats enjoy the advantage of having the public employee unions as donors and since government at all levels continues to grow as the private sector jobs continue to shrink, Democrats are going to be ahead in fund raising for several more years.Traditional Republican donors are suffering through a bad economy, higher taxes on corporations and deciding whether or not to invest in politics this year. Democrat donors take tax dollars from union members and disburse them to Democrat candidates who in turn, continue to grow state government thereby ensuring more donations in the future.
The rest of your story is, unfortunately for some of us, accurate.
@Greg A:
Then why was it reported and verified several months ago that registered Republicans around the state were receiving robo-calls from ORP Chair Bob Tiernan encouraging them to run for the legislature?
I’m not going to bother reading the rest of your comment, because I can guess what it says.
Andrew –
It’s not GENERALLY the ORP recruiting. Certainly they help with it, but most of the recruiting for these offices is done by the individual caucuses.
But don’t bother reading this comment since I’m sure you already know what it says too.
Wow, Andrew, if you think recording a robocall constitutes “recruiting” of candidates you haven’t the foggiest notion what the process actually entails.
I love doing that.
All Huffman needs is some bucks to take down Wyden. He’s eager to debate Wyden, but Wyden is a hidin’ knowing he can’t win a debate against the Dean of Lewis & Clark Law School.
HUFFMAN FOR U.S Senate!
Bob’s going to let me do it again!? Terrific.
Jim Huffman is not the dean of the Lewis & Clark Law School. Fact-checked!
http://law.lclark.edu/faculty/
Although I’m a far lefty, even if Jim Huffman were the Count of Montezuma I would vote for him over Ron Wyden.
Wyden, like most of the corporate Dems get elected to the Senate (The millionaires club) and hold true to their progressive roots. Then, after their first re-election, like Wyden who voted for corporate lawyer John Roberts and voted for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, sell out to the wealthiest contributors, like Meg Whitman, and sell their soul to the devil!
Hopefully, in six years the Dems will give us a ‘real progressive’, who isn’t chums with billionaire right-winged CEO’s, like Whitman, who is also buying her own plitical office this year-