The Oregon AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) issued its endorsements for the general election Nov. 7.
Endorsed in statewide races are Kate Brown for secretary of state; Brad Avakian for labor commissioner; Ted Wheeler for treasurer; Ellen Rosenblum for attorney general; Richard Baldwin for Oregon Supreme Court; and Jim Egan for the Oregon Court of Appeals.
In Congressional races, the labor federation is backing incumbent Democrats Suzanne Bonamici in CD 1; Peter DeFazio in CD 4; and Kurt Schrader in CD 5. An endorsement for Earl Blumenauer in CD 3 is pending his submission of a candidate’s questionnaire, which is required by the AFL-CIO.
The Oregon AFL-CIO COPE delegates took action on a pair of initiative petitions that qualified for the November ballot. The state labor federation will support a measure to amend the state Constitution to eliminate the corporate income tax “kicker,” and instruct the Legislature to spend those funds instead on K-12 education. It will oppose a measure seeking to eliminate Oregon’s estate and inheritance taxes. Oregon’s estate tax applies only to estates worth more than $1 million. At press time, qualifying initiative petitions had yet to be assigned ballot measure numbers.
In the Oregon Senate, endorsements went to incumbent Democrats Mark Hass in Dist. 14; Elizabeth Steiner Haward in Dist. 17; Diane Rosenbaum in Dist. 21; Chip Shields in Dist. 22; Jackie Dingfelder in SD 23; and Laurie Monnes Anderson in SD 25.
The AFL-CIO also endorsed Arnie Roblan, a Democrat who is leaving the House of Representatives to run for an open seat in Senate District 5.
In the Oregon House, the AFL-CIO endorsed: Peter Buckley, Dist. 5; Paul Holvey, Dist. 8; Caddy McKeown, Dist. 9; David Gomberg, Dist. 10; Phil Barnhart, Dist. 11; John Lively, Dist. 12; Nancy Nathanson, Dist. 13; Val Hoyle, Dist. 14; Sara Gelser, Dist. 16; Claudia Kyle, Dist. 19; Brian Clem, Dist. 21; Wynne Wakkila, Dist. 26; Tobias Read, Dist. 27; Jeff Barker, Dist. 28; Ben Unger, Dist. 29; Brad Witt, Dist. 31; Margaret Doherty, Dist. 35; Jennifer Williamson, Dist. 36; Carl Hosticka, Dist. 37; Chris Garrett, Dist. 38; Brent Barton, Dist. 40; Carolyn Tomei, Dist. 41; Jules Bailey, Dist. 42; Lew Frederick, Dist. 43; Tina Kotek, Dist. 44; Michael Dembrow, Dist. 45; Alissa Keny-Guyer, Dist. 46; Jessica Vega Pederson, Dist. 47; Jeff Reardon, Dist. 48; Chris Gorsek, Dist. 49; Greg Matthews, Dist. 50; Shemia Fagan, Dist. 51; Peter Nordbye, Dist. 52; Nathan Hovekamp, Dist. 54; and Bob Jenson, Dist. 58. All are Democrats except Jenson.
Several House races are awaiting completed questionnaires before endorsements are issued.
Last session the House was split 30-30 between Democrats and Republicans. Six incumbent Democrats and two incumbent Republicans aren’t running for re-election, so control of the chamber is wide open.
Lastly, the AFL-CIO has endorsed the re-election of Democrat Barack Obama for president.
