Alley is mayors’ man

MINNEAPOLIS -- State Treasurer candidate Allen Alley (R-Lake Oswego) received a ringing endorsement from two Oregon mayors Thursday, who said that his experience was what the state executive office needed.

Mayors Sid Leiken of Springfield and Lou Ogden of Tualatin said they would be supporting Alley in the general election this fall. Mayoral endorsements are usually not as highly touted as legislative endorsements, but both mayors said that Alley had reached out to them to support his candidacy. Both also said that the move was a smart one because voters tend to be more influenced by mayors than state representatives.

“Mayors have a high name identification,” Leiken said. “When we sign on to support someone, it makes a difference.”

Leiken and Ogden both said that while the office of the State Treasurer had very little interaction with the state’s mayors, both mayors were intrigued by Alley, whom they said had been willing to explore more of a working relationship between the state and municipalities. They also said that as a business executive, Alley had harnessed the experience he needed to be a strong manager of the state’s funds, which are over $80 billion dollars.

“He could have an active role in how the state pursues investment and reinvestment in areas across the state,” Ogden said.