HD-48: Jeff Reardon picks up legislator endorsements in primary race against Mike Schaufler
Carla Axtman
In an unusual move, Democratic primary challenger Jeff Reardon collected the endorsements of 10 Democratic state legislators in his bid to unseat Rep. Mike Schaufler.
Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week:
But today, a group of 10 lawmakers who will actually have to work with Schaufler if he wins re-election, showed backbone that the special interest groups lack. It's rare to see Democrats desert one of their own in a primary, but Reardon's campaign announced this morning that 10 lawmakers are doing just that.
The legislators include: State Senator Rod Monroe (D-Portland/Clackamas County), State Rep. Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas County), Sen. Chip Shields (D-N/NE Portland), Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland), Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward (D-NW Portland/Beaverton), Sen. Jackie Dingfelder (D-NE/SE Portland), Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer (D-NE/SE Portland), State Rep. Chris Harker (D-Washington County) and Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene/Veneta).
Why is this unusual? It's a primary, for one thing. In the entire time I've been paying attention to local politics, I can't think of a time when this many Dem office holders came out for a challenger AGAINST a seated incumbent.
I suspect Schaufler's history of shady, sometimes ugly, behavior is behind a lot of this. Schaufler's questionable (but legal) use of campaign donations for personal expenses prompted calls for changes to Oregon's laws governing how campaign dollars are spent.
In October of last year, Schaufler was accused of groping the breast of a Bureau of Labor and Industries staffer at an AFL-CIO event. Schaufler initially denied the allegation, but later came clean. He was disciplined by House leadership, stripped of his committee chairmanship and seat with the House Committee on Business and Labor.
Bizarrely, the AFL-CIO decided to endorse Schaufler for this race, as did Planned Parenthood and NARAL. All of them citing that Schaufler has been a solid vote for their issues.
I get that they like the way that the guy votes..but the optics on these endorsements are terrible. The specific cited incidents aside, Schaufler has a well known reputation in the Capitol for treating women with disdain and with disrespect. I've had my own first hand experience with him along those lines as well.
I'm most personally disappointed in Planned Parenthood & NARAL, who could have easily given the endorsements to the pro-choice Reardon. Or stayed neutral. As it is, Planned Parenthood engaged me earlier this year to hold a fundraising house party this summer for them. I felt obligated to send them an email this week letting them know that I could not support an organization that was endorsing Mike Schaufler. Anyone who treats women as badly as Schaufler does (even if his vote is good) isn't worthy of it.
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8:15 p.m.
Apr 5, '12
I am helping with Reardon's campaign even tho I don't live in his district. I have seen the rude/crude Schaufler in action at the legislature. He is terrible on environment issues. He votes with the R's the majority of the time.
Schaufler needs to go.
10:41 a.m.
Apr 6, '12
Schaufler is rude to both women and men – he’s rude constantly, and particularly to citizens who dare to care and speak in committees with an opinion with which he disagrees, even folks who have never been to the capitol before. I’ve watched his angry rants and been embarrassed that anyone, of any party, with Schaufler’s behavior serves in Oregon’s legislature. Everyone hears plenty of words spoken with which they disagree in the capitol, but Schaufler’s vitriol is often cruel, repetitive, caustic and out of control.
When I’ve see visitors – young or old -- watch him screaming away in committee or on the floor of the House, I’ve wondered at the caucus’ inaction. It amazed me that it took the groping for them to finally act and strip him of his committee.
Commendations to the 10 legislators with the gumption to take a stand: Keny-Guyer, Harker, Prozanski, Monroe, Shields, Dingfelder, Steiner-Hayward, Burdick, Hunt, and Holvey!
10:43 a.m.
Apr 6, '12
A lot of progressive organizations do a terrible job in endorsements when an incumbent is running whether it is in a primary or a general. I remember when OLCV endorsed Diane Linn against Ted Wheeler simply because she was the incumbent they had worked with, not because she was the better candidate or the best environmental candidate.
For Planned Parenthood and NARAL to endorse Schaufler is a repudiation of what they stand for and the endorsing boards should be ashamed. Planned Parenthood's experience with the Komen foundation should have been a lesson for them to think through the message they are giving with their endorsement of Schaufler.
12:19 p.m.
Apr 6, '12
I have not personally seen or heard Schaufler's rants but I commend the courageous lawmakers who have repudiated his conduct, which is unacceptable.
2:34 a.m.
Apr 7, '12
A Blue Dog who must have been mentored by David Wu...can't get much worse than that - buh-bye, Mikey...
10:06 p.m.
Apr 7, '12
he represents the worst of the worst in terms of selling his non-existant soul for handouts. He is the king of influence peddling for really bad things. Schaufler continues to ignore more than 60% of his constituents in East Portland so he can focus on Happy Valley aka monied interests. Schaufler loves his Alcohol to where the Beverage PAC ended up giving him 10,000 and has a running tab at Maggos Bar and spends up to 5,000 a month and the only democrat that voted no on 66 and 67.