Kitzhaber Gives To Republican House Member

WWeek:

<img src="http://www.wweek.com/portland/imgs/media.images/3449/lede_kitzhaber_3720.t2.jpg"/>

With all the cash flowing into campaign coffers now that political season is finally upon us, a $500 contribution hardly rates a second look—except when the donor is a Democratic governor and the recipient is a Republican member of the House, State Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River).

Johnson, a building contractor and member of the Hood River School Board, has worked closely with Gov. John Kitzhaber on education reform. Last week, the two men helped dedicate a new high school in Sandy, which is in Johnson's district.

Kitzhaber's only other contribution to a House member so far this year was $750 to State Rep. Betty Komp (D-Woodburn), who has also been supportive of Kitzhaber's education agenda.

The subtext for the governor's support is the split that occurred at the end of the 2011 session, when Johnson and Komp helped push through a package of education bills Kitzhaber wanted. Some of the bills in that package—such as one that expanded online charter schools—irked the powerful Oregon Education Association, the statewide teachers' union.

OEA issued a post-session report card on which it gave both Johnson and Komp failing grades for not voting OEA's way often enough. Komp and House Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) were the only two Democrats to receive failing grades and interestingly, both are former public school teachers and principals. 

Kitzhaber's $500 is insignificant financially to Johnson, a first-term incumbent, but the govenor's implicit endorsement could be helpful in a district where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 1,700 voters. Johnson's opponent, Democrat Peter Nordbye, currently has less than $1,000 on hand; Johnson has $37,000 on hand.

The larger context, of course is that the House is currently split 30-30 for the first time ever and so every seat is crucial to both parties as they try to win a majority in the November 6 general election.

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