Darlene Hooley

When Darlene Hooley announced her retirement from Congress last February the NRCC's eyes widened and their jaws began to drool as they saw one of the best opportunities for a national GOP pick up.

Millionaire Mike Erickson has spent almost $900,000 of his own money in his bid for the Republican nomination for Congress in the fifth district, outspending Kevin Mannix by over $700,000.  Mannix, a well known former GOP State Chairman and state legislator who is popular among Republicans from his four unsuccessful statewide races, had been viewed as the front runner when he entered the race after Darlene Hooley’s unexpected retirement.  But now, it looks like Erickson’s financial edge could produce an upset.

As the Oregon primary looms near, the race to secure more superdelegates continues to heat up. Barack Obama's campaign announced today the endorsement of Congressman Peter Defazio, adding to current endorsers Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and David Wu.

Yesterday PolitickerOR reported on the confidence of the DCCC in holding onto Oregon's 5th congressional district being vacated by Darlene Hooley. Two serious contenders, State Sen. Kurt Schrader and activist Steve Marks, are both vying for the Democratic nod.  read more »

WASHINGTON – Democratic leaders today said they were optimistic about their prospects for holding the U.S. House seat of retiring Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and of winning Republican Gordon Smith’s U.S. Senate seat.

Chuck Schumer, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, suggested that Smith, who is expected to face off in the November general election against House Speaker Jeff Merkley or activist Steve Novick, was failing to distance himself from President Bush.

“Republicans who have changed their tune ... think they are getting stronger, but they are getting sicker,” said Schumer.

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In January, Darlene Hooley will become the twelfth  living former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon.  Oregon’s oldest living former Congressman is Wendell Wyatt, a Republican who will celebrate his 91st birthday on June 15.  Wyatt, an ex-FBI agent and the Republican State Chairman from 1955 to 1957, won election to Congress in a 1964 special election and easily held the seat in subsequent races; Wyatt won 69% in 1972, running twelve percentage points ahead of GOP presidential candidate Richard Nixon.

Some Republican insiders suggest that Mike Erickson could drop his bid for Congress in the fifth district, clearing the field for Kevin Mannix to seek the open seat held for the last 12 years by Democrat Darlene Hooley. Republican polling shows Mannix with a substantial lead over Erickson, and with strong approvals among GOP primary voters.  read more »

Now with the prospect of a Steve Marks candidacy in the race to replace Rep. Darlene Hooley, many are wondering if he'll set up his campaign digs at Salem local pub Magoos, a place where he's been spotted most frequently since leaving the Kitzhaber administration in 2002. Perhaps lobbyist and long time buddy Marla Rae could head up fundraising by collecting donations from the rest of the Salem lobby mafia as they walk through the door.

Now that Kevin Mannix is widely expected to enter the GOP primary for the 5th congressional district, the Democratic candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General can stop using him as their potential general election straw man opponent. Although, it was the Attorney General race Mannix was seriously considering prior to Rep. Darlene Hooley announcing her retirement.  read more »