The Bulletin: Politically, region is turning into a must-visit

‘Democrats are becoming more competitive’ in Deschutes County

By James Sinks

SALEM — Two decades ago, then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Neil Goldschmidt famously rejected an invitation to do a debate in Bend, calling Central Oregon the “middle of nowhere.”

How times have changed.

This month, Bend has played host to a parade of hopefuls for statewide political office, including both of the high-profile Democrats who hope to challenge U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., in 2008.

State Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland, included Central Oregon on Thursday on her statewide announcement tour — holding a press conference at the Bend Public Library to confirm that she is running for secretary of state.

Last week, John Kroger, a Portland law professor and one of the Democrats running to become the state’s next attorney general, held press conferences in Bend and Klamath Falls.

While Republican politicians have always trekked to Central Oregon — which still leans Republican, according to voter registration rolls — these days the region is attracting attention from both sides of the political aisle.

“The Deschutes County area is growing like gangbusters, and with simply more people there, it makes it more interesting as a focus of political attention,” said Oregon State University professor and political scientist Bill Lunch.

“But there’s something else going on. Although Deschutes County still appears and should be considered as a Republican county, the Democrats are becoming more competitive. If the area was continuing to be rock-red Republican, it wouldn’t get as much attention, certainly not from Democrats and probably not from Republicans, either.”

That evolution can be attributed in part to a rise of urban-type concerns in the growing Central Oregon hub, because Democrats are generally seen as an urban party while Republicans are more focused on rural concerns, he said.

These days, in political circles, it’s almost expected that candidates will make forays eastward — despite the fact that the lion’s share of Oregon’s population lives along the Interstate 5 corridor.

Brown said Bend was included on her itinerary Thursday, along with stops in Portland, Eugene and Medford, because you can’t ignore one of the most important parts of the state.

“This is a hot area,” she said. “It’s growing fast, and economically it’s doing very well.”

In her announcement, Brown — who stepped down this summer as the Senate Democratic leader — said she has been a champion for the issues that fall under the purview of the secretary of state, such as elections and government efficiency audits.

She also helped orchestrate a series of legislation this year that helped schools, working families and the environment, she said.

Brown also was an architect, along with state Sen. Ben Westlund, D-Tumalo, of legislation this year banning discrimination against gays and lesbians and allowing same-sex partners to obtain marriage-like rights via domestic partnerships. Opponents submitted signatures Wednesday in an attempt to overturn those bills on the November 2008 ballot.

She is one of three Democrats vying to succeed current Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

The others are state Sens. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, and Brad Avakian, D-Portland.

State Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, said candidates who want to represent Oregon ought to visit all the corners of the state, an effort that will hopefully educate them that policymakers do a disservice when they pass “one-size-fits-all” rules.

But he sees another reason candidates are coming to Bend: money.

“There are more people here, but there are also people here with money — and they have got to raise money for campaigns,” he said.

When House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, one of the potential challengers for Smith’s U.S. Senate seat, didn’t include any east-side stops in an RV tour, Republicans pounced, accusing him of ignoring rural Oregon.

“When you’re from Portland and want to represent all of Oregon, we should be your first campaign stop,” said state Sen. Ted Ferrioli, D-John Day.

Merkley did appear in Central Oregon, however, at a Bend fundraising dinner for the Truman Club, which benefits the Deschutes County Democrats.