Oregon ballots

There’s political movement in the mountains this week. Republicans are heading out from the shadow of Mount Hood, while Democrats make the trek east of the Cascades.

As Republicans concluded the Dorchester Conference in Welches in Clackamas County last weekend, Democrats are heading to the Oregon Summit in Sunriver Resort this Friday.

The meetings are meant to rally the partisan troops as the primary election moves towards the finish line on May 27 – now just three weeks away.

GOP picks from full field of candidates

Informal straw polls taken of GOP attendees at the Dorchester Conference showed they favor former Happy Valley Mayor Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the 5th Congressional District that runs from Portland to Bend. Rep. Ron Noble, R-McMinnville, came out on top of a large slate of Republicans in the new 6th Congressional District. Both candidates put out the results on social media over the weekend.

Less was released about the straw poll to choose among the 19 Republicans running for governor. Former Alsea school superintendent Marc Thielman came out on top after multiple rounds, with Portland consultant Bridget Barton placing second.

The straw poll winners were not included in two high-profile debates last week and later this week. The first, held Thursday, was co-sponsored by the Bend Bulletin and limited the stage to four candidates who had raised significant funds and also placed well in larger public opinion polls: former House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby; 2016 GOP governor nominee Bud Pierce of Salem; former Oregon GOP chair Bob Tiernan of Lake Oswego; and Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam. The same four are set for a debate Thursday co-sponsored by Pamplin Media and KOIN-TV.

Meanwhile, conservative radio personality Lars Larson used the weekend to weigh-in with his own endorsement of Barton for governor. He also told listeners they should support Chavez-DeRemer in the 5th district race, and Amy Ryan Courser in the 6th district.

Democrats maneuver into spotlight

Now it’s the Democrats’ turn for strategizing and intrigue at Sunriver Resort south of Bend. The agenda of the Democratic party’s Oregon Summit also includes a reception for Gov. Kate Brown, who will leave office in January. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and Treasurer Tobias Read will speak. 

The Democratic field is just slightly smaller – 15 candidates. Treasurer Read and former House Majority Leader Tina Kotek, D-Portland, are the top fundraisers so far in bids to move into Mahonia Hall, the governor’s mansion in Salem.

Unlike Republicans, there are no plans for a straw poll of attendees in Sunriver, said Eddie Kurtz, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Oregon

Lesser-known Democratic candidates, such as 2018 Independent Party governor nominee Patrick Starnes of Brownsville – running in 2020 as a Democrat – are calling for equal footing in any party-sponsored debates.