Day will run for ORGOP chair re-election, will be challenged by Tiernan

Republican Party of Oregon chair Vance Day told PolitickerOR.com on Monday that he plans to run for re-election as state Republican Party Chair.

According to a Monday report on Oregon Catalyst, Day is going to be challenged by former State Rep. Bob Tiernan is vying to be the next chair of the Oregon Republican Party, according to a Monday report on Oregon Catalyst. Day said he knew Tiernan for many years, and was not surprised he was going to be challenged for the seat

“You get a good bit of success going and you’re bound to get people who want to challenge you for the position,” Day said.

Tiernan, of Lake Oswego, was an Oregon State Representative from 1992-1996. He lost re-election for his seat in 1996 to now-state senate majority leader Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin).

Day has been chair of the Oregon Republican Party since 2005. If re-elected, he will see the party through the 2010 governor’s race, where, in addition to outgoing U.S. Sen. Smith (R-Pendleton), he sees many qualified potential Republican candidates.

“Greg Walden is a very natural choice,” Day said. “He knows Oregon very intimately.”

“But I think we’ve got a very deep second tier of candidates; Sen. Jason Atkinson and Sen. Bruce Starr would do well,” Day continued. “Allen Alley and Rick Dancer as well. Both of them did very well in a difficult year.”

Alley (R-Lake Oswego) lost the State Treasurer’s race to Ben Westlund 52 percent to 45 percent, while Dancer (R-Springfield) lost to Kate Brown (D-Portland) 51 percent to 46 percent. That is much closer than the U.S. Presidential race, where President-elect Barack Obama beat U.S. Sen. John McCain 57 percent to 40 percent.

Another large statewide race that will be looming for Day, should he be re-elected, is the 2010 U.S. Senate race against U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland). Day said it may take some sorting out in the governor’s race before a Republican announces his intentions to challenge Wyden. But he felt confident about the party’s chances.

“If the Democrats do what we expect them to do, then 2010 will not be a great year for Democrats,” Day said.

The election for Oregon Republican Party chair will take place January 12 in Lake Oswego.