Candidate Conversation: U.S. Congress 5th District

AIR DATE: Tuesday, October 28th 2008
With one week left before election day, what's catching your eye?

After an election season that has gone on seemingly forever, tomorrow marks the one week count-down to the end. Registered voters in Oregon have now received their ballots, and many -- including a studious couple we saw on Friday evening, Voter's Guide in hand, at our local bar -- have already cast their votes. We're close to the end ourselves, but not quite there. Tomorrow we'll discuss the hotly contested 5th District Congressional race and take a tour of other campaigns and initiatives of note around the state. On Wednesday we'll look specifically at Measures 63 and 64 and have a conversation with their author, Bill Sizemore.

But back to tomorrow... Democratic Congresswoman Darlene Hooley surprised many Oregonians in February when she announced that she wouldn't seek reelection. Two spirited primaries left Democrat Kurt Schrader and Republican Mike Erickson vying for her vacated seat. Schrader joined us during the primary (along with the other Democratic candidates) and will be on our air again tomorrow. He'll be by himself: Mike Erickson has not responded to our repeated requests to come on the show.

Do you live in the 5th District? What issues are of greatest concern to you there? Have you decided who to vote for? What would help you make up your mind?

Or do you live somewhere else in the state, where a different race has caught your eye? Are you in Eugene and paying attention to the mayoral race between Jim Torrey and Kitty Piercy? Are you watching the close race for Washington Governor and thinking back to 2004? Or are you deciding how to vote on bond measures -- like the $374 million Portland Community College bond or the $125 million bond for Oregon Zoo improvements -- based on the current economic situation? What's grabbing your attention -- and your vote -- this November?

Note: You can listen to a six minute discussion (mp3) about our Candidate Conversation guest policy, including an explanation of our decision to go ahead with shows when only one candidate agrees to participate.

Tagged as: 2008 election · 5th district · congress

I live in Salem Oregon and I just saw the show "Heat" on public television. In 2009 the federal government will have to take action on global warming. If Kurt Schrader becomes our next House representative I would like to know if he would support a cap-and-trade system for global warming pollution, with reductions of 80% greenhouse gas emissions below 1990s level by 2050?
sofia71 —
I am disappointed Smith did not participate. I am also disappointed there is no mention why. I am not fully decided in this election but it seems you have just backed this candidate by giving him an hour of free public advertising. It strikes me a bit contrary that during the introduction it was communicated that you would not allow Smith on by himself, which it also seems he requested, yet here is Merkley by himself...unchecked? Even the tone of how you say Smith declined shows evidence of inbalance. Are you representing the public in your public broadcasting?

So far it seems Jeff is just continuing his ads.

Disappointed,
emjay
emjay1 —
Sorry, this was meant for the Merkley coverage. Somehow jumped screens
emjay1 —
Unlike the show yesterday where I wish the Senator would have shown up, I could care less about Mr. Erickson attending this one; his current "pro-life" position is so obviously politically motivated and laden with hypocrisy that I wouldn?t vote for him if he were the only person in the race.

I have no sympathy for either of the main party candidates for my district (yes, I live in the fifth) and neither got my vote.

I think Emily and Dave did as well as could be expected yesterday; I do understand the editorial decision, but it was still something distantly akin to torture enduring Mr. Merkley solo. Honestly, I?ll skip this morning?s show... but having already voted (and not for this person) it seems a bit foolish to endure another politician with whom I have issues...
tpohara —
I live in the 5th District and have already voted. I found the constant attack ads by the Republicans and Mike Erickson such a turn off that there is no way I would ever vote for him. I received more attack mail from this campaign than any other than the Kennemer campaign. I have received numerous calls on my cell phone form the Kennemer and Erickson campaigns, even after asking to be taken off of their phone list. The last person who called from the "Erickson Campaign" admitted that he was calling from out of state and that he had no idea how to take a name or number off the list, or even whether it was Erickson's campaign or the Republican party that had provided the list to him and the other volunteers he was with.

I am so tired of attack ads, and I refuse to be scared into voting for someone. I have noticed that this year almost all of the mailings that included attack ads have come from republicans. By the time I was done voting, I realized that for the first time ever, I voted entirely for the Dems.
JuliaMJK —
Rep. Darlene Hooley was on the House Energy and Commerce Committee -- the committee with jurisdiction over climate change legislation. Where does Kurt Schrader rank climate change on the list of issues he wants to tackle?
Chris Shultz —
Also on the environment, Sen. Wyden and Smith, and Rep. Blumenauer and DeFazio, have been trying to protect more areas around Mount Hood and else where in Oregon as Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers. Rep. Hooley has supported this, but I have not heard Shrader take a position. Will Shrader support more Wilderness in Oregon?
KlamathAngler —
I'd like to know where Kurt Schrader stands on protecting our old-growth forests. More and more research is showing that PNW old-growth forests store more carbon more efficiently than just about any other ecosystem on earth. Does Kurt Schrader support Senator Wyden's and Representative DeFazio's efforts to secure old-growth protections?
Jonny5 —
I hear a lot of republican and democrat hopefuls saying how much they'll help rural Oregon. Yet, I rarely, if ever, actually hear any SPECIFIC POLICIES on how they will help. Will Kurt Schrader for instance allow sustainable logging, commercial fishing, and support farmers who are struggling in eastern Oregon? Hard-line environmentalists have shut this state down and rural Oregonians are simply being starved out of this state.
sarah g —
For Bill, what does it say to you when a candidate refuses to attend a forum like those provided by Think Out Loud, especially this late in the campaign?
Tislandcity —
I am new to the 5th district. What are the most important local issues in the 5th? I just moved from Clark County so I am a new Oregon voter.
rogercar —
As a former Nevada resident, I need to correct your guest about Nevada's Voter Consent Law. The "None of the above" option is purely advisory. The candidate with the most votes is elected no matter how many votes are received for "None of the above". The law, NRS 293.269 was enacted in 1976. In a highly contentious and acrimonious 3-way Supreme Court race, "None of the above" received over 163,000 votes - 21% of the total cast.
MikeInVancouver —

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