SALEM, Ore. (Map, News) - It's not just the eyes of Oregon that will be on the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley: National Democrats may be at risk of losing what was a safe congressional seat, and the national GOP is salivating at the prospect of a gain.

Hooley set the stage for what has become one of the most competitive races in the country when she dropped her bombshell announcement in February that she would not seek re-election in the 5th District.

Running for the Republicans are former GOP state chairman and gubernatorial contender Kevin Mannix and Mike Erickson, a wealthy businessman from Lake Oswego who ran against Hooley in 2006.

On the Democratic side are state Sen. Kurt Schrader, powerful chairman of the Legislature's budget-writing committee, and Steve Marks, a longtime top adviser to former Gov. John Kitzhaber.

The national parties are staying out of the contested fights on both sides in advance of Oregon's May 20 primary election. But they have made it clear they are ready to pour considerable resources into the fall campaign.

Republicans view the 5th District as one of the few potential bright spots in what could be a dismal year for GOP contenders nationwide.

"The near parity in party registration, combined with the quality of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination, really makes this race a potential pickup opportunity for us," said Ken Spain of the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C..

But Democrats believe they are going to have a good year in the 5th District and elsewhere, since the neck-and-neck presidential race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has energized the party base and registered thousands of new Democratic party members.

"Congresswoman Darlene Hooley won six consecutive elections in the district and we are confident a Democrat will win this November," said Yoni Cohen of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C.

At this stage, the Republican primary race has taken on a higher profile than the Democratic contest. That's largely because Erickson has been flooding the airwaves with TV ads aimed at counteracting Mannix's better name recognition among 5th District voters.

Erickson, who runs a business that helps other companies find ways to lower their shipping costs, spent $1.6 million of his own money on his 2006 race against Hooley and has lent $340,000 to this year's campaign.

The Lake Oswego businessman said finding ways to cut government waste and reduce the federal deficit are his priorities.

Erickson, in his TV ads, has also advocated for a crackdown on illegal immigration. The United States should return all the people who are in the country illegally, he said.

"They need to pay some fines; and go back to Mexico and get in line and apply to get back here legally," he said.

As for his GOP opponent, Erickson takes Mannix to task for what he calls Mannix's fast and loose handling of campaign financing, including paying off hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-standing debts from previous campaigns with loans from his Salem law firm.

Mannix says Erickson's lack of public service should give voters pause.

"He's been a businessman. He's never been tested on a single vote, or on providing constituent service or on having to carry through on promises on political performance," Mannix said.

The Salem Republican notes that in previous unsuccessful runs for governor and attorney general, he has won in the 5th District, where Republicans have held a slight voter registration edge.

"I'm a seasoned campaigner who knows how to win this district," the former lawmaker said.

Mannix, who has promoted various get-tough-on-crime initiative measures, said his top issue in this campaign is the economy - in particular finding ways to help people in natural resource industries such as fishing, farming and timber.

In the Democratic race, Schrader has touted himself as not only a seasoned legislator, but as a veterinary clinic owner and farmer whose background and experiences make him well suited to serve the heavily agricultural 5th District.

"I'm the only candidate who owns and works on a farm. I can relate to everybody out there," the Canby lawmaker said.

He notes he's won five consecutive elections to the statehouse, and that his experience as the Legislature's budget-writing chief makes him well qualified to serve in Washington, D.C.

"You want someone who has paid their dues and earned public trust at the state level before you send them to the U.S. Congress," said Schrader, who lists ending the war in Iraq as his top priority.

Marks, his Democratic opponent, doesn't have electoral experience but he worked as a top adviser to Kitzhaber for 15 years, including as chief of staff to the former governor.

In those roles, both when Kitzhaber was governor and earlier a state senator, Marks was a behind-the-scenes player on some of the biggest and at time thorniest issues the state has faced in recent years.

"I was there, helping him run the government through some very difficult times - the Sept. 11 attacks, the state's worst recession, and the worst fire season in our state's history," Marks said.

Marks said that besides ending the Iraq war, his priorities include ending Bush era tax cuts and redirecting money to education and other programs and creating an entirely new health care system that provides coverage to everyone - not just tinkering with existing health plans.

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:20 AM MST on Sun., May. 4, 2008 re: "Ore. House seat up for grabs"

Examiner Reader said:
sure hope the voters, vote independant, we need to get rid of all the dems and repubs.they build new highway bridges here,but you are better off parking your car at home and walking to them.this is the pothole and scab built highway state.

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