Brown camp: ‘Always good to be ahead’

A spokeswoman for Secretary of State candidate Kate Brown (D-Portland) is saying new poll results have left her feeling cautiously optimistic about Brown's chances in the November election. 

The poll, conducted by Portland Tribune/Fox 12, showed 33 percent of voters supporting Brown, and 25 percent backing Rick Dancer (R-Springfield).

“It’s always good to be ahead,” said Brown spokeswoman Amy Wilson. "But there are a lot of undecided voters out there.”

In fact, the poll found that 38 percent of Oregonians had yet to make up their mind. Surging Democratic registration throughout the state, including 129,269 newly Democrats registered in the Beaver State in 2008, should help Brown. But Wilson said the key would be making sure those voters are as attuned to the down-ballot races as they are to Barack Obama's campaign.

“We have a lot of voters excited about the presidential race,” Wilson said. “But the trick is to make sure voters fill out the ballot all the way down the ballot.”