The Oregon Democratic Party tried to score public-relations points with voters by pointing out that state Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, is living in a Tualatin apartment while running for governor against Democratic incumbent Kate Brown.

Well, duh.

The Oregon Republican Party spokesman, Kevin Hoar, had an apt response: “The Democratic Party of Oregon’s complaint seems to be that they believe that State Representatives who are not from Portland or Salem are not permitted to campaign for Governor, even though the state legislature is not in session and Knute Buehler’s constituent services continue to operate without interruption.”

As the Oregon Capital Insider reported this week, Democratic Party Chair Jeanne Atkins cited Article IV, Section 8 (7)(a) of the Oregon Constitution, which states, “A person may not be a Senator or Representative if the person at all times during the term of office of the person as a Senator or Representative is not an inhabitant of the district from which the Senator or Representative may be chosen or which the Senator or Representative has been appointed to represent.”

By that standard, if Buehler is ineligible to serve because he temporarily relocated to Tualatin while maintaining his main residence in Bend, then any legislators would be ineligible if they rent temporary housing in Salem during legislative sessions. That includes some Democrats.

Atkins filed the complaint against Buehler with the office of Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, a Republican. When Democrat Atkins was secretary of state in 2016, the office dismissed a similar complaint from Democrats against Republican legislative candidate Rich Vial, who went on to win election in House District 26.

• Low bar for Congress: By the way, congressional candidates don’t have to live in the district where they’re running. Republican Tootie Smith ran, unsuccessfully, against Democratic incumbent Kurt Schrader in 2014 although she lived just outside the 5th Congressional District.

Meanwhile, critics of Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, claim he doesn’t live in the state, because he married a New York businesswoman. The Wydens have a home in Portland.

Every year, Wyden and fellow Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley visit all 36 Oregon counties, which is more than can be said for most legislators and statewide elected officials.

• Little time off in Oregon Capitol: The Legislature’s move to annual sessions has increased politicians’ and interest groups’ expectations during the interim between sessions. Lobbyists now are complaining of “workgroup fatigue” – watching and/or participating in so many legislative workgroups on various issues.

• Oregon by the numbers: This week, the Ford Family Foundation and Oregon State University Extension Service released their first report, “Oregon by the Numbers: Key measures for Oregon and its counties.”

The book is quite informative and seems well-researched.

The pages for each county include a list of the county’s geographic highlights. My question 1 for Oregon’s 90 legislators, their election opponents and the leading candidates for governor: How many of these places have you been to?

As for statistics in the 133-page report, here are the counties ranked first in certain categories. Be mindful that the sample size for small-population counties might be skewed compared with larger counties.

• Broadband access: Multnomah

• Child abuse: Gilliam

• Child poverty: Malheur

• Crime: Multnomah

• Developed or cultivated land (percentage of land devoted to human use): Marion

• Early childhood education (percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled): Multnomah

• Food insecurity: Lake

• Healthy diet (percentage of adults eating a healthy diet): Morrow

• High school graduation rate: Wallowa

• Highest property tax per person: Gilliam

• Highest unemployment rate: Grant

• Housing cost burden: Josephine

• Job growth: Deschutes

• Low-weight births: Wheeler

• Mobile homes: Morrow

• Physically active adults: Grant

• Residents with at least a 4-year college degree: Benton

• Residents with a 2-year college degree: Umatilla

• Smokers (percentage of adults): Lincoln

• Transit service: Multnomah

• Vaccination rate for 2-year-olds: Hood River

• Vehicle miles traveled: Multnomah

• Voter participation: Grant

• My question No. 2 for politicians: How many of Oregon’s 36 counties can you correctly identify on an unmarked map?

Dick Hughes, who writes the weekly Capital Chatter column, has been covering the Oregon political scene since 1976. Contact him at TheHughesisms@Gmail.com, Facebook.com/Hughesisms, YouTube.com/DickHughes or Twitter.com/DickHughes.