FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Erik Dorey | press [at] dpo [dot] org | (503) 239-8624
With a full lineup of candidates now set for 2012 races, Oregon Democrats are seeing every indication of a very successful year ahead.
In any presidential election year, increased voter turnout factors heavily in other races, and Oregonians’ enthusiasm for reelecting President Obama will be a major driver for Democratic candidates across the board in 2012. Already, volunteers are signing up in record numbers to assist the President’s campaign, outpacing even 2008 where Obama supporters turned out big for Democrats statewide.
Looking at statewide races, three strong incumbents — Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, Secretary of State Kate Brown and Treasurer Ted Wheeler — each have winning records to put before voters, and the open Attorney General seat has attracted two excellent candidates with distinguished careers of service, Dwight Holton and Ellen Rosenblum.
Republicans’ inability to recruit anyone to run for Attorney General and Treasurer is a telling sign of the challenges they face this year.
Democrats are poised to win back the Oregon House; there are currently eight Republican-held seats in districts where Democrats have a voter registration advantage. Democrats also expect to hold their majority in the Senate by highlighting major legislative accomplishments like health care, education and foreclosure reform.
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