The Register-Guard
By David Steves

The Republicans may have monopolized the national political fanfare Tuesday with their convention in St. Paul, Minn., but that didn’t stop Oregon Democrats from doing some convening of their own in Eugene.
All five Democrats running for statewide office gathered to rev up a small group of supporters and volunteers and to formally open their party’s “Forward Oregon” coordinated campaign headquarters in Eugene.

U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley, Oregon secretary of state nominee Kate Brown, state treasurer candidate Ben Westlund, state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and attorney general nominee John Kroger took turns giving mini-speeches to a gathering of about 70 people Tuesday evening.

The setting — an asphalt parking lot at the corner of 12th Avenue and High Street — wasn’t quite as elaborate as the red-carpeted, balloon-­festooned arena where the Republicans celebrated in their three-day convention to formally nominate Sen. John McCain for president.

But it was just fine for the dedicated local Democrats, who were much happier cheering their party’s in-state nominees than watching the GOP pageant on TV.

“No comparison,” said Munir Katul, a retired Eugene physician, who said he wouldn’t have watched the Republican festivities even without an alternative Democratic event.

The Eugene gathering carried the distinction of being the first event in the “State of Change Tour” for all four state office candidates.

With so much voter attention in Oregon focused on the presidential and U.S. Senate races, the managers of the four statewide candidates decided to schedule them for joint appearances this fall.

Afterward, veteran Democratic voter and volunteer Eric Gunderson of Eugene said it worked for him.

“It’s a great chance to hear all these people in one place after you read about them in the paper,” he said.

Avakian, although a Democrat, isn’t technically running under the party’s banner because his office is nonpartisan. He was appointed to the commissioner post last spring. His only opponent is self-described fitness enthusiast and author Pavel Goberman.

Brown faces Republican Rick Dancer, a former Eugene TV anchorman.

Westlund is running against Republican Allen Alley, a high-tech executive, and Constitution Party nominee Paul Michael Marsh.

Kroger faces no Republican opponent, but has drawn challenges from three minor party candidates.

Avakian said he thought the time together on the campaign trail would foster a good working relationship among the candidates, should they all go on to win election to their respective offices.

Westlund said there definitely was an upside for the candidates themselves to campaigning as a foursome, rather than individually.

“I think we, as a group, present a bigger draw,” he said.