SALEM - If the Oregon Farm Bureau and AG-PAC have their way, state Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, and Republican Kevin Mannix will square off in the November general election in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.
The Farm Bureau and AG-PAC have endorsed Schrader and Mannix, along with other candidates, for the May 20 primary election.
Hooley, a six-term congresswoman, announced earlier this year she was not seeking re-election. She has represented Oregon's 5th Congressional District since 1996.
Neither organization has decided which candidate they will support in November.
"Kurt Schrader has been there for us, especially in the budget process, at the Legislature," said Katie Fast, director of government affairs for the Farm Bureau. "And Kevin Mannix also has a good track record with Farm Bureau."
"Both of them have a proven legislative record and have supported the natural resources industries," said Roger Beyer, chairman of AG-PAC. "We'll have to see what happens for the general election."
Mannix is up against Lake Oswego businessman Mike Erickson in the primaries. Schrader is running against four candidates, including Steve Marks, formerly senior policy adviser to former Gov. John Kitzhaber.
Both organizations, as expected, endorsed Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., in the primary and general election.
The Farm Bureau also endorsed state Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego, for attorney general for both the primary and general election; AG-PAC made no endorsement for attorney general.
In other statewide races, the Farm Bureau backed state Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, for secretary of state - again while AG-PAC made no endorsement.
"Our board felt Sen. Metsger had the most sympathy to rural issues and redistricting in a fair way for rural Oregon," Fast said.
Metsger, a former television journalist, is running against state Sens. Kate Brown, D-Portland, and Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, and Newberg resident Paul Damian Wells for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state.
Former television news anchor Rick Dancer of Eugene is the only Republican running for the office.
Bill Bradbury, who has served as secretary of state since 1999, is vacating the office due to term limits.
The Bureau has yet to back a secretary of state candidate for the November general election.
The Bureau also kept open its endorsement options for the November state treasurer race, but backed state Sen. Ben Westlund of Tumalo for the Democratic nomination.
Westlund and Portland venture capitalist Republican Allen Alley are running unopposed for their respective party nominations in the race for state treasurer.
Randall Edwards is leaving office because of term limits.
In House district races, the Bureau and AG-PAC are backing Republican Sherrie Sprenger, a small-business owner and former Benton County deputy sheriff, for the Republican nomination for District 17.
Sprenger, who earlier this year was appointed to the House seat vacated by Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, is running against three candidates in May. Girod left his House seat to replace Beyer in the Senate. Beyer left the Senate to take a position with the Oregon Seed Council.
Beyer, who served the rural House district for two terms before joining the Senate in 2001, said he knows how important natural resources industries are to the district's constituents and feels Sprenger will provide the district good representation.
"Sherrie has expressed an appreciation for the natural resources industries in her district," he said. "She's done a good job and shows what it takes to do a good job in the future."
AG-PAC did not endorse a candidate for the Democratic nomination in House District 17. The Farm Bureau endorsed Dan Thackaberry, a farmer and Farm Bureau member.
In what is expected to be a hotly contested race that could go a long way toward influencing the makeup of the House next year, the Bureau and AG-PAC are backing Jeff Duyck in House District 29. Duyck, who formerly owned an agricultural chemical supply company, has strong agricultural roots in the district.
"People who know that district feel like they've been under-represented on constituent service issues, and we're looking forward to a change there," Fast said.
Duyck, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary, will face Rep. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro, who also is running unopposed in the primary, in November.
In several districts, the Bureau and AG-PAC made no endorsement.
In some districts, such as District 23 where Craig Pope is running against Jim Thompson for the Republican nomination, the Bureau found it was comfortable with more than one candidate, Fast said.
In other districts, particularly in districts where candidates filed late, the Bureau said it didn't know enough about the candidates to make an endorsement.
House District 60, where Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, is running against Tim Smith for the Republican nomination, is another district where the bureau said it was comfortable with both candidates and made no endorsement.
The Farm Bureau's board of directors used information from county farm bureaus to help decide which candidates to support, said Farm Bureau President Barry Bushue.
"We try to take as much guidance from our county farm bureaus as we can, because they're the on-the-ground folks," Bushue said.
Neither the Oregon Farm Bureau nor AG-PAC has endorsed a presidential candidate.
The state began mailing ballots to registered voters May 2. Ballots are due at county election offices by 8 p.m. May 20.
Farm organizations endorse candidates
May 02, 2008
The Capitol Press
