Oregonian endorses Wu, Adamson, Galizio

The Oregonian endorsed U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-Portland), state Rep. Larry Galizio (D-Tigard), and state House candidate Jessica Adamson (D-Sherwood) Wednesday.

The Oregonian editors said they were impressed with Wu’s explanation as to why he switched his vote on the $850 billion bailout package that passed through congress last week. The paper admitted it has had a rocky relationship with the congressman, but said that editorial board members were impressed with Wu’s demeanor as he handed the board a seven page list of his accomplishments.

“We met a much more focused, sharp and confident congressman than the shaky, inexperienced elected official who used to ramble on and on in our interview sessions," the paper wrote. "Wu now has 10 years of experience in Congress, and it shows."

In HD-35, Galizio is running for his third term against Tony Marino (R-Tigard), whom the paper said did not respond to requests for editorial board interviews. But the Oregonian’s editorial staff said that voters would be well served to send Galizio, the community college professor, back to Salem.

“He has built a reputation as a moderate consensus-seeker, and he stood out in last year's Legislature as an effective advocate for increased state support for higher education,” the editorial board wrote.

In HD-26, Adamson is taking on recently appointed Rep. Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville) in a campaign that came into the spotlight after Democrats’ FuturePAC sent out a mailer to district voters highlighting several court documents that discussed an instance where Wingard hit his child with a screwdriver.

“In Wingard's case, we also are troubled by his 2002 guilty plea to striking his then-7-year-old son on the head with a screwdriver,” the editorial board wrote. “That should disqualify him from serving in the Legislature, no matter what his political leanings are.”