Libertarian Party to field 32 candidates in Oregon
The anti-tax candidates
might affect several races,
one expert says
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALEM — The Libertarian Party,
which seeks to reduce the size and
reach of government, plans to field a
record 32 candidates in Oregon's gen
eral election.
While it's unlikely that any of the
candidates will win, the anti-tax party
could affect several races. Its members
campaigned actively over the winter
to defeat a ballot measure that would
have raised taxes.
Voters rejected that tax increase 59
percent to 41 percent, giving the party
hope that its candidates will resonate
with Oregon voters this fall.
"I have not seen Libertarians have
this good a chance at influencing can
didate elections since the mid-1970s,"
said Jim Moore, a political science
professor at Pacific University.
Like Democrats, Libertarians sup
port abortion rights, assisted suicide
and other social causes that limit gov
ernment telling people how to live
their lives. But they also disdain taxes
and big government — traditional Re
publican territory.
The Libertarian slate includes near
ly two dozen legislative candidates,
including former gubernatorial candi
date Tom Cox, who won almost 5
percent of the vote when Democrat
Ted Kulongoski defeated Republican
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Kevin Mannix in 2002.
This time, Cox hopes to defeat
Rep. Mary Gallegos, R-Cornelius,
one of 11 House Republicans who
voted for the tax increase that voters
ultimately rejected.
"Tom will be the guinea pig to
watch," Moore said. "He has never
done a serious campaign. Will we see
it this time?"
Libertarians could also play a role
in several other House races that have
no incumbent, such as House District
54, which Rep. Tim Knopp, R-Bend,
will give up.
Libertarian Tristan Reisfar is taking
on Democrat Judy Stiegler and Re
publican Chuck Burley, both of
whom he says support tax and fees
increases.
"At the very least, I will force candi
dates to take hard stances on some of
these issues," Reisfar says.
Mannix, the Oregon Republican Par
ty chairman, said he's telling members
to "stop paying any attention" to Liber
tarian candidates, who he says have lit
tle in common with Republicans.
But the tax issue is important
enough that some Republicans
wouldn't mind seeing a Democrat de
feat a Republican.
Tax activist Don Mclntire said the
Executive Club, a decades-old conser
vative group to which he belongs, vot
ed to back Cox against Gallegos.
‘There's a chance his entry into the
race could deliver the votes for the De
mocrat, but on balance, we've decid
ed that's better than continuing with
somebody who's a lousy Republican,"
Mclntire said.
Gallegos responds that voters
"want somebody making tough deci
sions in Salem," even if they don't
agree on every issue.
Unlike the two major parties, the
Libertarian Party, Oregon's third
largest, lacks money for mailings and
the hordes of volunteers to knock on
doors. But Richard Burke, the party's
executive director in Oregon, said the
party is maturing and gaining clout.
"It all boils down to that we de
cided we're going to be a political
party," he said.
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