The race for the Third Senate District in southern Oregon was triggered by the sudden death in August of Dr. Alan Bates. Bates, a Democrat, was widely respected, especially for his work on health care issues.
Now, Democrat Tonia Moro 鈥� an attorney -- and Republican Alan DeBoer -- an auto-dealer -- are each making the case that they are the best choice to succeed Bates in a race that has implications for the balance of power in Salem.
On a recent evening, nearly 20 people gather in the living room of a south Ashland home. They鈥檝e come to meet Tonia Moro, the Democratic candidate for the Oregon Senate鈥檚 Third District. After everyone has grazed the wine and hors d鈥檕euvres, Moro makes her pitch, evoking the memory of Dr. Alan Bates.
鈥淟ike him, I intend to be a voice in Salem for the folks he cared deeply about: small businesses, working families, students and seniors and young people starting out with families,鈥� she says.
Moro spent about ten years as a federal public defender. Later, in private practice, she served as counsel for several small cities. After losing a write-in bid for a seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners in 2014, Moro won a seat on the Rogue Valley Transportation District board. She served as chair and led the successful campaign for a tax measure to restore bus service that had been cut after voters shot down a previous tax proposal. Moro says she鈥檇 approach the Senate job much as she believes Alan Bates did.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 important is that we elect somebody that鈥檚 like Dr. Bates and really wants to make everybody鈥檚 lives better,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to send anybody that鈥檚 more inclined to represent the biggest corporations and the wealthiest individuals. Those people are already very well-represented.鈥�
The next evening, I go walking Ashland鈥檚 Railroad District with Republican candidate Alan DeBoer. He鈥檚 knocking on doors.
If someone answers, he introduces himself, offers a campaign brochure and asks folks if they have any questions. Mostly they don鈥檛, so DeBoer thanks them and moves on. In between houses, I remark on DeBoer鈥檚 low-pressure sales pitch 鈥�
鈥淵ou will find I鈥檓 a very low-key person,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 love doing the work. That鈥檚 who I am, so 鈥� This is hard for me to do the campaign where you talk about stuff you鈥檝e done, because I don鈥檛鈥� do that.鈥�
Still, DeBoer says the things he鈥檚 done are exactly what make him the better candidate for this Senate seat. DeBoer graduated from Ashland High School and worked at the family auto dealership. He鈥檚 been on the Ashland School Board and also served a term as Ashland鈥檚 mayor. He claims credit for getting both the town鈥檚 YMCA facility and the local hospital on solid financial footing.
鈥淚鈥檝e volunteered for everything, almost everything that鈥檒l touch your life over the last 30 years and been very successful at it, and have a lot of education that I鈥檝e learned by the school of hard knocks and just doing the job,鈥� he says.
DeBoer campaign contributions tend to come from Republican political sources and industry groups, including realtors, agriculture and landlords. His single largest contribution so far was a $50,000 check from Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
Tonia Moro draws much of her campaign cash from Democratic political sources and from labor unions. Her biggest contribution was $50,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Neither Moro or DeBoer are calling much attention to their party affiliation in their campaign materials. But this race has drawn attention because the Third District is pivotal for control of the Oregon Senate. Bill Lunch is professor emeritus of political science at Oregon State University.
鈥淚f the Democrats are to retain their 18 to 12 so-called 鈥榮upermajority鈥� in the state senate,鈥� Lunch says, 鈥渢hey need to retain control over the Third District position.鈥�
Democrats are expected to hold their majorities in both houses of the legislature this election. But the Dems鈥� supermajority in the senate allows them to move revenue legislation without needing Republican votes. If the Republicans can gain the Third District seat, they鈥檇 be in a position to block key parts of the Democrats鈥� legislative agenda.
