OR-5: Brady: 'It's been a rocky road for Erickson'

MINNEAPOLIS -- Oregon fifth congressional district delegate Wayne Brady winced when he heard the news Thursday morning that congressional candidate Kurt Schrader (D-Canby), not Mike Erickson (R-Lake Oswego), had wrapped up endorsements from AG PAC and the Oregon Forest Industries Council.

"That hurts," Brady said. "It's been a rocky road for him. He has his flaws, but on the other hand we need to keep some sense of balance in the House and Senate."

Both organizations tend to endorse Republican candidates; Republican candidate Kevin Mannix had actually wrapped up the OFIC endorsement during the Republican primary. Erickson has run into trouble since May, when Mannix accused Erickson of paying for an abortion for a former girlfriend, and then again in August when Erickson claimed to have gone on a humanitarian trip to Cuba. The Oregonian talked to trip operators, who said the trip was short on humanitarianism and long on vacation.

Erickson did not attend the Republican National Convention in St. Paul this week, opting instead to remain in Oregon to campaign.