Avel Gordly

Democrats (or those who promote and build "a Democratic and progressive agenda) are swinging back at Senator Gordon Smith's recent television ad blitz.

A new ad for U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) features two Oregon Democrats who say they will vote for the incumbent senator. According to the ad, former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Furse and state Sen. Avel Gordly, both Democrats, are behind Smith and not Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley.

Gordon Smith has carefully crafted his brand: he is a self-described independent thinker who is searching for ‘common ground for the common good.’

His party affiliation—Republican—is difficult to find on his campaign website, much easier to locate is the tab at the top, “Democrats for Smith.”

The group was first deployed during the senator’s bid for re-election six years ago, and in its current incarnation, includes a list of elected officials, mostly from outside of the Willamette Valley, which will be a key battleground for Smith in his race against Democrat Jeff Merkley.

At a press conference on the capitol steps this morning, Sen. Barack Obama’s team in Oregon announced the endorsements of 26 of Oregon’s elected officials, including Sens. Ben Westlund, Margaret Carter, and Avel Gordly, as well as House Speaker Pro Tem Diane Rosenbaum, and State Treasurer Randall Edwards.  read more »

As lobbyists have the next few weeks to allow their wallets to fatten up for this years contested races, certain legislators may have an opportunity to use the session to position themselves nicely for some upcoming hotly contested races.