State Senator Betsy Johnson has raised $2.2 million dollars so far in her political race for Oregon governor, putting her ahead of her rivals in fundraising.
Just one month ago, Johnson began her political campaign as an Independent. Running with this particular party means she will not run in the primary election this spring, but rather will need to receive around 24,000 signatures in order to be on the ballot. Although the last Independent to be elected as Oregon’s governor began their term during the Great Depression, she is off to a surprisingly impressive start.
Johnson’s generous donations included $250,000 from the Willamette Valley-based logging equipment company Pape Group and $150,000 from Global Companies LLC, which is owned by the Massachusetts-based gasoline mega supplier Global Partners. Seafood mogul Frank Dulcich contributed a total of $240,000 through 11 of his companies.
Other donors include Columbia Sportswear CEO Timothy Boyle, Columbia Investments private equity firm president Peter Scott, green energy nonprofit council member Alexia dePottere-Smith, and Paula Teevin, wife of logging company owner Shawn Teevin.
Additionally, campaign finance reports revealed that Harsch Investment Properties, a real-estate investor, Hampton Lumber, Springboard Group, and Sause Bros each donated $100,000.
To date, Johnson’s campaign has spent roughly $10,000 mainly on advertising.
The Others Candidates
Democratic opponent and former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof has only raised $1 million despite having had big-name donors such as Angelina Jolie and Melinda Gates. Yamhill farm owner Kristof has never before run for office, however, Oregon’s most powerful private sector union, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, endorsed Kristof last week amid frustrations in fighting for essential workers during the pandemic.
“Frankly our Board felt, as I do, that it’s foolish to support the politicians who praised essential workers during the pandemic while neglecting necessary worker protections,” said Dan Clay, the union president. “We need leadership that is willing to actually deliver solutions when they get to Salem, instead of trying to get in their sound bites.”
Democratic House Speaker Tina Kotek has received support from the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, and has a “war chest” of around $500,000. State Treasurer Tobias Read has also raised around $500,000.
Lesser known names like Democratic candidate and Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla raised a fraction of the others; most of it already spent. Republican candidate and Salem Oncologist Bud Pierce raised nearly half of his $750,000 through his own personal funds, and now only has a fraction of it left to spend on his campaign. Republican candidate and Sandy Mayor Stan Pullium has raised $527,000 on his own, and Lake Oswego political consultant Bridget Barton has raised $378,000.
By: Rebekah Harcrow
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