A true outsider, Neville launches bid for U.S. Senate seat

With all the focus on the Merkley-Novick rivalry in the Democratic Senate primary, scant attention has been paid to the lone female candidate hoping to knock off Gordon Smith next year. But in an interview Wednesday, Candy Neville, a real estate agent from Eugene, eagerly slammed the Bush administration as a dangerous band of reckless warmongers, and expressed her frustration with the current Democratic majority in Congress.

"I've been hugely disappointed in the Democrats on the war," Neville said, dismissing the argument that the Dems simply don't have the votes to force Bush's hand. "When I see a lot of members of Congress trying to work together, and really believing that they're working hard, I always want to tell them to call home, and ask their constituents who elected them what they want them to do," she said.

Neville characterized Washington culture as insulated and out of touch with the true wishes of the voters, and expressed her strong support for impeaching the President, but refrained from directing any of her anger towards her Democratic opponents for the nomination, and even held her heaviest fire when asked about Gordon Smith.

"I'm actually very pleased with Merkley and Novick," Neville said. "I think they're both fantastic candidates, and I respect them a lot," pointing specifically to what she described as Merkley's strong work ethic, and Novick's willingness to shake things up a bit. "And Gordon Smith might be a nice man, but he doesn't do enough or delve deep enough, and we need real go-getters in office," she said, adding that she did not know what was in Smith's mind, but accepted his reversal on the Iraq war as sincere, if not effective.

Neville explained that she had never viewed herself as an overly enthusiastic student of politics, until the 2000 election, when she recalled being horrified by then Governor George W. Bush in the debates against Al Gore, prompting her to become dramatically more engaged.

"Watching the debates in 2000 with Bush and Cheney, I can remember being shocked by their answers, and astonished that nobody seemed to be picking up on the fact that they sounded like total warmongers," she said.

Chronicling the steps in her evolving political ambitions, Neville said after being involved with the Kerry/Edwards campaign in 2004, she felt she had reached a crossroads.

"I realized I have to do something," she said. "I'm at the age where I would really like to semi-retire and enjoy myself a bit more, but, as there is with many of us, there's this sadness that sort of lingers in the air, and so we have to stand up and do whatever we can, and as a Senator, I hope to truly embolden members of Congress who may be too timid to speak out, but who have good intentions and simply need a little prodding."

At this point Neville's threat level is questionable. She doesn't plan on putting together a staff, and has, until recently made little effort to raise money.

"I've actually been criticized for not raising money, but I've now filed to do that, so I hope some people will put their money where my mouth is, but right now the most important thing is to introduce myself and get some ideas out there," she said.

Neville also said she had not been tempted to forgo the primary and run as an independent, and vowed not to continue her bid as an independent if she loses the Democratic nomination.

"I'm running as a Democrat so I don't turn out to be a spoiler. I'm still deeply horrified by the Nader factor."

Reiterating her admiration for Merkley, Novick, and Independent candidate John Frohnmayer, Neville did say that if Congressman Peter DeFazio had entered the race, whose 4th District includes Eugene, she would have stayed out of it.

After a rare pause of deliberation, Neville offered one final philosophical insight.

"The problem is, a lot of elected officials are too concerned with risking their political careers, but you only live once, so instead of worrying about their careers, they should be trying to make history."