Oregon Democratic Party

The Democratic Party of Oregon is persevering with its "issues" ad campaign and released a new ad on Thursday featuring Jeff Merkley, despite the complaint U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's campaign had filed with the FEC against the party-sponsored ads.

The DPO ads have become controversial because, while the DPO says these ads are for the purpose of addressing issues in the election, they feature a political candidate. If the FEC finds that these ads support Merkley's candidacy, then Merkley and the DPO will be in violation of campaign finance laws regarding how much money a party can give a candidate.

On Thursday, Smith's campaign manager called on Merkley to cease and desist working with the DPO on issues advertising.

"You once stated that ‘honest, accountable governments begin with honest, accountable campaigns,'" Kochvar said. "I agree and hope that you will join Senator Smith in completing this campaign in an honest and publicly accountable manner."

The Bend Bulletin scolded Democrats for attempting to make an issue out of Gordon Smith’s wealth in an editorial on Wednesday.

U.S Senator Gordon Smith’s (R-Pendleton) campaign released a new television ad on Tuesday disparaging Oregon House Speaker and U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley’s (D-Portland) voting record on tax increases in the state House. On Wednesday the Oregon Democratic Party hit back with a new ad of its own disparaging Smith’s record on voting for tax increases in the U.S Senate.

The Allen Alley campaign responded on Thursday to the anti-Alley website Oregon Democrats launched by taking a more of a glass-is-half-full approach toward the candidate's business history at Pixelworks, the Portland-based technology company that Alley founded.

Brooks Kochvar, campaign manager for U.S Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton), filed an official complaint with the Federal Elections Commission Wednesday against Oregon House Speaker and U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), accusing the Merkley campaign of exceeding election law limits on funds received from the State and National Democratic Party.

Two television ads paid for and distributed by the Democratic Party of Oregon in the past week prominently feature Merkley. While neither ad says anything about his candidacy, and while the Merkley campaign claims that the ads were not created to support his candidacy, Smith's campaign believes it is a blatant move to try to use extra funding from the party for more summer television advertising.

"Jeff Merkley would have us believe he appeared in ads paid for by the DPO and DSCC that have nothing to do with his candidacy for U.S. Senate," said Lindsay Gilbride, spokeswoman for the Smith campaign. "That is laughable, ridiculous and illegal."

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was awarded 20 pledged delegates at this Saturday's Oregon Democratic Party district conventions. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) was awarded 14 pledged delegates.

The Oregon Democratic Party will be holding their congressional district conventions tomorrow. 34 pledged delegates and five alternate delegates in total will be elected at the June 7 event.