State Political Profile: Oregon
Governor
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski defeated two opponents in the May Democratic gubernatorial primary, and he's promising a vigorous campaign when he faces Republican and independent challengers in the fall.
Despite being able to tout an improving Oregon economy as the centerpiece of his re-election campaign, Kulongoski nonetheless could be in for a rough ride in November.
In the May 16 Democratic primary, Kulongoski drew a spirited challenge from two opponents who called Kulongoski a "do-nothing" governor who had failed to show leadership on education, health care and the environment.
Public employee unions, still upset about Kulongoski's reforms of the public employee retirement system that reduced benefits for workers, sat out the primary or endorsed Kulongoski's opponents.
The unions might come around to Kulongoski in the fall election, though, because the winner of the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Portland lawyer Ron Saxton, is urging further changes to reduce the cost of the public employees' retirement system. He's also called for reducing the size of state government, which by implication could mean shrinking the state employee workforce.
A wild card is maverick state Sen. Ben Westlund, a moderate Republican from central Oregon who has dropped his party affiliation to run as an independent candidate for governor in November. Westlund says excessive partisanship has stood in the way of real solutions to Oregon's problems, such as the growing number of people who lack health insurance.
Westlund has aimed his campaign message at disaffected Democrats as well as moderate Republicans, leading some Democrats to worry that Westlund could end up playing a spoiler's role in the fall, taking votes from Kulongoski and helping to elect Saxton.
U.S. House
The betting money is on Oregon's five U.S. House incumbents winning re-election in November, since most challengers are short on money and name recognition. Neither of Oregon's U.S. senators is up for re-election this year.
In the 1st District, which extends from Portland's western suburbs to the Oregon Coast, U.S. Rep. David Wu, a Democrat, is running again for a seat that Republicans have coveted since Wu was first elected in 1998.
His Republican challenger in November will be state Rep. Derrick Kitts.
During the 2005 legislative session, Kitts he was criticized following media reports that he had used leftover campaign cash to pay for incidentals, such as a rented Salem motel room where he lived during the session, even though his legislative pay includes cash for lodging.
Observers say Kitts likely will have difficulty raising money to challenge the well-funded incumbent.
Ballot Issues
Oregon voters might have to set aside some extra time to mark their ballots this fall. Election officials say backers of more than a dozen proposed initiatives are actively collecting signatures in hopes of getting on the ballot.
Among the measures are ones to clamp a tight limit on state spending, require parents to be notified before teens can have abortions and raise the state cigarette tax by 65 cents a pack to provide health coverage for all Oregon children.
The final deadline for turning in signatures is July 7.
If the spending limit initiative wins a spot on the ballot, it will touch off what's expected to be a high-spending campaign battle between anti-tax activists who want to restrict government spending and those who say such a limit would put schools and important social services at risk.
The proposed constitutional amendment would limit state spending to the percentage change in inflation plus the percentage change in population growth.
Another controversial measure that could wind up on the fall ballot is the "open primary" initiative that is being sponsored by two former Oregon secretaries of state -- Democrat Phil Keisling and Republican Norma Paulus.
The initiative would require candidates to run in a single primary, with the two top finishers, regardless of party affiliation, advancing to the November general election. Backers of the idea say it would bring more independent voters into the process and cut down on excessive partisanship in Oregon politics. Democratic and Republican officials oppose it saying that undermining the traditional two-party system won't lead to improvements in the way Oregon governs itself.
Legislature
Democrats are making a concerted effort to take back control of the Oregon House this fall. The most heated battle likely will involve an effort by Democrats and gay rights activists to a topple a Republican legislative leader who thwarted a move to allow civil unions for same-sex couples.
House Speaker Karen Minnis enraged gay rights backers in 2005 by refusing to let the House vote on a civil unions bill that had been passed by the state Senate with the blessing of the Democratic governor. State and national gay rights groups are targeting Minnis for defeat in 2006 as part of an effort to elect more gay-friendly legislators and defeat lawmakers who have opposed giving more rights to gays and lesbians.
Republicans currently hold 33 of the 60 seats in the House, and Democrats see their effort to defeat Minnis as part of a larger campaign to win back control of the House from the Republicans.
The state Senate is solidly in Democrats' hands they hold 18 of the chamber's 30 seats although Republicans are hoping to whittle away at that margin by winning a few seats now held by Democrats.
-- Associated Press
