This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

THIS IS THE SECOND IN A TWO-PART SERIES ON THE 2022 GOVERNOR’S RACE IN OREGON; OF COURSE, THERE COULD BE MORE PARTS IF THE SPIRIT MOVES ME AS THE ELECTION DRAWS CLOSER

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Oregon Republican voters will see more viable gubernatorial candidates on their ballots this May than in any primary going back at least three decades.

That could mean the winningnominee heads into the general election with a slimminority of the party’s backing.

So reports the Oregonian newspaper, which gives a half dozen contenders a shot at winning the GOP nomination, based on  factors including fundraising, name recognition, and history of connections at the grassroots level.

Contenders include a former Republican nominee for governor, the previous Oregon House Republican leader, a formerly powerful lawmaker out of politics for two decades, a mayor with a strong anti-COVID mandate following, and a political consultant well-known in conservative circles.

In all, 19 Republicans have filed to run for governor, including several candidates with a claim to past electoral success, bigtime fundraising or signs of popular support.  It’s an ungodly number, which means that almost anyone could win.

Leaders include:  Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam, an insurance executive who built a following during the pandemic by vocally opposing the governor’s COVID mandates; former House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby; Salem oncologist Bud Pierce, who was the 2016 Republican gubernatorial nominee; and former state lawmaker and corporate executive Bob Tiernan of Lake Oswego.

What I posted yesterday was that one of the leading Democrats — former Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and current Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read — will be favored come out on top next November, though, of course, the primary election comes first.

Further, an independent, former Oregon State Senator Betsy Johnson, will make a spirited run for the state’s top political job.  In truth, it is possible that Johnson, in the general election, could draw votes from both the Democrat and the Republican.

I believe Johnson has a genuine chance to win come November.  Not assured or even probable, but possible.

Also, keep watch on the parade of dollars – some big dollars – to a number of the campaigns. 

Another Oregonian newspaper story reported this yesterday:

“Unlike the vast majority of other states, Oregon allows unlimited contributions to political campaigns – and corporate titans, former elected officials and labor unions are among those who have used their monetary muscle in 2022 to try to influence voters’ choices.”

Does money talk in politics?  The answer is yes.  But it is not the only voice heard in the din of a major election.