Greg Walden

Since the last elected Republican governor of Oregon, Vic Atiyeh, took office in January of 1979, it doesn’t look good for the party’s 2010 prospects.

Congressman Greg Walden continues to tell Republican leaders that he expects to run for Governor in 2010.  Walden has spent more time lately communicating with party leaders and aggressively raising money for his ’08 re-election campaign in his safe GOP district – which will allow him to spend money on TV and radio ads that will increase his name identification and approvals statewide.

If Oregon Democrats are serious about keeping GOP Congressman Greg Walden busy this year, so that he can’t spend the cycle boosting his chances to win election as Governor in 2010, then they’ll recruit a strong candidate to challenge him in the second district this year. One Democratic insider suggested a strong candidate, albeit an unlikely one: Chris Brauer, a Democrat and a popular former Umatilla County District Attorney. But Brauer isn’t likely to step down from his new job as a Circuit Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Congressman Greg Walden has one of the safest Republican seats in the country. For years Democrats have ignored his record, his seat and primarily his strong ties to the NRCC. That is until the whispers of a potential run for governor began and the Dems discovered Walden sitting on nearly $900,000 in campaign cash.  read more »

Rep. Greg Walden hasn’t said he’s planning on running for Governor in 2010 (yet), but the enthusiasm surrounding the possibility of his candidacy was evident last month at the Republican’s annual Dorchester conference, and is still simmering among politicos on both sides of the aisle.  read more »

Salem- Question: What do you get when you throw together a bunch of candidates, approximately four hundred educators, hours of conversation and a pina colada machine?

Answer A: The Oregon Education Association's political action conference.
Answer B: Educators gone wild (for politics.)
Answer C: Nominations for every statewide race.
Answer D: All of the above.

The OEA-PIE convention this weekend bore testament to the true nature of grassroots campaigning. Delegates had direct access to candidates, both on the convention floor and at parties hosted by each candidate on Friday night. Candidates and educators roamed throughout the conference center and the hotel; the latter group peppering the former with questions and comments, which more often than not cut through the sound bites and spin.

With former Governer Vic Atiyeh anointing Rep. Greg Walden as the 2010 GOP nominee for governor at this past weekend's Dorchester Conference, it looks like Oregon will have yet another congressional seat opening up in two years.  read more »

Representing eastern Oregon since he was first elected in 1998, Rep. Greg Walden has been spoiled as Oregon's only GOP member in the US House. No one to compete with when raising campaign cash. No rival for conservative legislation that curries favor with the GOP faithful. Which may explain why Walden suddenly shows a strong preference for the likely congressional candidacy of former Oregon legislator Kevin Mannix.