Dave Hunt

Should Democrat Kurt Schrader make it to congress the looming question is who will fill his vacant spot in the Oregon Senate?  Oregon law mandates someone from the incumbent member’s party be chosen, so we know it will be a Democrat.  Names currently being thrown around include House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, County Commissioners Lynn Peterson and Martha Schrader (wife of the congressional candidate), and Democratic House candidate Toby Forsberg.

Senate Democrats drew a great sigh of relief last March when the filing deadline for legislative candidates came and went and no opposition appeared for any of their vulnerable candidates, particularly Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson of Gresham.  However, that sigh may have been somewhat premature when Republican Dave Kim won a GOP write-in nomination in May.

In the race for control of the Oregon House of Representatives, Democrats have a strategy of keeping targeted incumbent Republicans busy (who will likely win their respective re-election campaigns) so they can move in on the toss up races to stiffen their majority by possibly two to five seats.  Majority Leader Dave Hunt has recruited strong candidates and raised enough money to keep GOP Reps. Chuck Burley and Linda Flores on their toes this election season.

If money raised is any sort of indicator on which party will hold the Speaker's gavel in Oregon's House of Representatives this coming January session it's really a no-brainer.  Democrat Majority Leader and likely next Speaker Dave Hunt is leading the charge for House Dems by raking in an enormous $1,077,710 to spend on any competitive race this election cycle.

The sudden early retirement of state Rep. Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville) gave Republican House District 26 candidate Matt Wingard an edge in the November election, but he still faces a tough road ahead.

State Senate Republicans have come up with a plan to fund education by selling what they believe to be one of the Beaver State’s most renewable resources: water.

State House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) responded harshly to House Majority leader Dave Hunt’s (D-Clackamas) assertion that fundraising actions taken by state Rep. Karen Minnis (R-Wood Village) to give money out of her campaign contributions to candidates that have hired her on as a consultant were possibly unethical.

Oregon House Majority leaders announced their plans for the 2009 legislative agenda on Monday in what they are calling the "Road Map" to Oregon’s future.

“Looking back on the beginning of the 2007 session, it seemed like the ship of state had been stuck,” House Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas) said. “We felt like we had to get the ship of state unstuck and going back in the right direction.”

Oregon House Republicans blamed Democrats on Tuesday for losing thousands of Oregon jobs in last 3 months, and Democrats accused Republicans of trying to mislead voters into thinking that the Beaver State’s economy is in shambles.