Smith releases new ad warning rural voters Merkley will leave them behind

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) released a new ad Monday warning rural voters that his opponent Jeff Merkley voted against several measures that Smith said would have benefitted rural Oregon.

Smith, who is Oregon’s only federal representative from east of the Cascades, also warned rural Oregonians that if Merkley was elected, it would just be one more voice for Portland and one less for them. Currently, Oregon already has one senator and two representatives in Washington from the Rose City.

"Gordon Smith fights for all of Oregon, not just part of it," Smith spokeswoman Lindsay Gilbride said. "Jeff Merkley spent his legislative career trying to tax and regulate rural Oregon into submission; stopping bills that would help create jobs in the woods and keep our rural communities on equal footing."

The ad cites several Merkley initiatives, including a vote against creating timber jobs in 2003. Smith also accuses Merkley of closing the Office of Rural Policy, even though Merkley created Oregon’s first legislative Committee on Rural policy in 2007 when he was Speaker of the House.

Merkley was quick to fire back. He defended his record and accused Smith of hurting both rural and urban Oregon by trying to divide them against each other.

“Gordon Smith just runs divisive television ads,” Merkley said. “Smith might believe that fomenting anti-Portland resentment and propaganda is good for his campaign, but it's bad for Oregon.  We deserve better."

Merkley went on to point out that he traveled to close to 100 Oregon towns after he won the Democratic primary in May. He said that he, not Smith, has been meeting with rural Oregonians to address their needs.

"Like Ron Wyden, I have travelled to towns across this state and listened to people who are struggling in this economy and I challenge Gordon Smith to do the same," Merkley said.