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Home / Oregon: Not Your Traditional Swing StateOregon: Not Your Traditional Swing State
Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 11:35 Written by rslcpol Monday, 16 August 2010 12:16
RSLC Political Director, Ben Cannatti, co-authors the fourth piece in the series “RSLC State Race Spotlight” on Townhall.com:
At the federal level, many Republicans view Oregon—with two Democratic Senators and four out of five Democratic U.S. Representatives—a far-left leaning liberal bastion with anachronistic fiscal and social policies. At the state level, though, the Beaver State is a swing state with elections that could go either way.
Yes, the Democrats hold roughly a 10 percentage-point advantage over Republicans in voter registrations, but with more than a quarter of the electorate registered as unaffiliated or with third-parties, the Democratic advantage is far from locked in. No, the Republicans are not going to magically flip the Congressional delegation this year, but they do have a shot at breaking the Democrats’ current stranglehold in Salem. A few key victories could curtail the Dem’s redistricting advantage and lay the groundwork for future GOP success in the Beaver State.
In the race for governor, Republican nominee and former NBA player Chris Dudley currently leads his Democratic opponent. Republicans can take control of the 30-member Oregon State Senate if they are able to net four seats in the midterm elections. Even if they don’t win the upper chamber, getting closer to parity with the Democrats in the senate would give the Republicans a strong negotiating position with a friendly Governor.
Tags: Oregon