PRESIDENT CONT.
John Kasich • Republican
Do we even have to tell you what a threat Donald Trump represents to American democracy? A demagogue for the TMZ era, Trump has capitalized on a toxic blend of celebrity envy, class resentment and unfiltered racism. His campaign rallies are fascist carnivals, where the candidate fanaticizes about torture and mutilating Muslim corpses. The best argument in Trump’s favor is that he’s probably lying about what he believes in order to win the nomination on a wave of hatred. As an alternative, the GOP has turned to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a religious
zealot whose idea of small government is checking the birth-certificate gender of anybody who tries to use a public restroom. We have no illusions about Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who combines antichoice, anti-labor policies with the demeanor of your child’s incompetent but stern soccer coach. But every vote for Kasich pushes the Republican Party closer to a brokered convention. The GOP has reaped the whirlwind, and it should have to reckon in the streets of Cleveland with the dark forces Trump has summoned.
U.S. HOUSE, 1ST DISTRICT
Suzanne Bonamici • Democrat
U.S. SENATE class with his support for free-trade pacts that have moved jobs overseas—a charge Wyden disputes by arguing he is creating jobs for Oregon by opening markets for our state’s goods. We’re torn on that issue. But Stine hasn’t convinced us we should throw a sitting senator overboard. Paul Weaver, 71, is also in the primary, but shouldn’t be— his pro-life, small-government agenda belongs in the GOP. WYDEN’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Roasted chicken from any Fred Meyer in the state, or a Cena, 7742 SE 13th Ave. “Try the lamb chops,” Wyden suggests.
Ron Wyden • Democrat
Faye Stewart • Republican
It appears that when trying to come up with a candidate to face Ron Wyden, the GOP has surrendered. None of the candidates in this race possesses the experience, fundraising ability or stature necessary to mount a credible statewide campaign. Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart, 49, is the most politically experienced of the three. The scion of the family that owned Bohemia Lumber, once one of Oregon’s largest wood-products companies, he brings a long track record of civic and political engagement. He’s an expert in the timber politics that divide urban and rural Oregon, and as a Republican operating in the People’s Republic of Eugene, he’s experienced at bipartisan compromise. Sam Carpenter, 66, the owner of a Bend answeringservice company and business consultancy, has written two books on fixing dysfunctional businesses. But by running for the U.S. Senate without political experience or a serious campaign, he’s violating the kind of guidance he peddles. Dan Laschober, 53, a Wilsonville management consultant, is also running but lacks any history of civic engagement or political involvement. Given his modest fundraising so far—well under $100,000 this year—Stewart is unlikely to make Wyden sweat, but at least he knows some of the questions voters want asked. STEWART’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Burrito Amigos in Eugene.
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BONAMICI’S FAVORITE FOOD CART: Bombay Chaat House, Southwest 12th Avenue and Yamhill Street.
Brian Heinrich • Republican
Brian Heinrich, 40, a truck salesman from Dundee with no previous political experience or intention to mount a campaign, is the best the GOP has to offer in this race. A quasi-libertarian, he would like a smaller government and more representation of non-Democratic viewpoints. One of his opponents, Jonathan Burgess, 62, a former podiatrist who is now a handyman, showed up for his interview in a T-shirt that compared incumbent U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici to Benito Mussolini. Burgess accused her of supporting the mass murder of black babies because she’s pro-choice. A third candidate, Washington County grape grower Delinda Morgan, is a perennial candidate with little to add. It speaks volumes about the bankruptcy of Oregon’s Republican Party that these three candidates are all the GOP can offer. HEINRICH’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Tilt, a Swan Island burger joint.
P H OTO S B Y W W S TA F F A N D C O U R T E S Y O F C A N D I DAT E S
For 20 years, Ron Wyden has been our senator. According to polls, he is the best-liked politician in Oregon. No surprise. His Democratic centrist politics are in keeping with much of the state. Despite the catcalls that he is actually the third senator from New York (his wife is a Manhattan bookstore owner), Wyden travels here on a regular basis and is proud of the thousands of town halls he has held in virtually every burg in this state. He is media savvy, and his rumpled and definitely not glamorous visage works well in a state where flannel is considered dress casual. In Washington, D.C., Wyden is known for reaching across the aisle to offer solutions on health care and tax policies—a rarity in our polarized national politics. And as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Finance, he has real power. Critics charge that Wyden plays it too safe, but we mostly disagree. He was the first senator to support gay marriage. He has been a longtime advocate of gun control. And he was in the minority in voting against the Iraq War Resolution (which Hillary Clinton voted for). In recent years, Wyden, 67, has carved out a role as perhaps Capitol Hill’s leading critic of this country’s national intelligence apparatus. While he doesn’t admit it, our guess is that he has a photo of intelligence contractor-turnedwhistleblower Edward Snowden in his desk drawer. Two months before Snowden’s leaks showed that our federal government was collecting the phone records of U.S. citizens, Wyden asked Director of National Intelligence James Clapper in a public hearing whether the National Security Agency collects data of any type on millions of Americans. Clapper answered: “Not wittingly.” The leaks that followed gave the lie to that answer. We need a principled watchdog in Washington to keep up the fight, and Wyden is it. Kevin Stine, 30, a Medford city councilor, offers a provocative challenge to Wyden with a consistent critique of Wyden’s economic policies from trade to welfare reform. Stine argues that Wyden has abandoned Oregon’s working
Suzanne Bonamici, 61, a former Washington County legislator, won this seat in 2011 after former U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) imploded and resigned midterm. Bonamici appears smart and earnest, and in practice, that’s who she is. As a junior member in the minority party, she’s not a big player in Washington: Her proudest accomplishment on the House Education Committee was securing dedicated arts funding in the new education bill. Bonamici also played a part in replacing No Child Left Behind with less prescriptive testing. Her opponent, Shabba Woodley, 25, who works in telecom sales and writes poetry, is out of his depth.