Dave Hunt

The sudden early retirement of state Rep. Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville) gave Republican House District 26 candidate Matt Wingard an edge in the November election, but he still faces a tough road ahead.

State Senate Republicans have come up with a plan to fund education by selling what they believe to be one of the Beaver State’s most renewable resources: water.

State House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) responded harshly to House Majority leader Dave Hunt’s (D-Clackamas) assertion that fundraising actions taken by state Rep. Karen Minnis (R-Wood Village) to give money out of her campaign contributions to candidates that have hired her on as a consultant were possibly unethical.

Oregon House Majority leaders announced their plans for the 2009 legislative agenda on Monday in what they are calling the "Road Map" to Oregon’s future.

“Looking back on the beginning of the 2007 session, it seemed like the ship of state had been stuck,” House Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas) said. “We felt like we had to get the ship of state unstuck and going back in the right direction.”

Oregon House Republicans blamed Democrats on Tuesday for losing thousands of Oregon jobs in last 3 months, and Democrats accused Republicans of trying to mislead voters into thinking that the Beaver State’s economy is in shambles.

NW Republican blogs with intense disdain on the decision by Democrat Secretary of State Bill Bradbury to force Republican state house candidate Jeff Duyck to withdraw from running against state Rep. Chuck Riley for lack of residency requirements, while folks over at Blue Oregon cheer on House Dems' likely retention of control.

The open seat being vacated by retiring State Rep. Wayne Scott was supposed to be a take back opportunity highly coveted by House Democrats, however, their candidate Toby Forsberg is proving to be less "energetic" than they had hoped.

With Jeff Merkley giving up his seat in the State House to run for the United States Senate, it’s time for Oregon political observers to pay more attention to Majority Leader Dave Hunt.  Hunt could wind up as Speaker in January, assuming Democrats retain control of the lower house – which puts him on the short list for statewide office over the next few years. The political ambition Columbia River Channel Coalition Executive Director and former congressional aide is no secret and state Democrats regularly list Hunt as one of their rising stars.