09-28-1995

UPCOMING ELECTION - OR SEN '95: FURSE DROPS OUT; WYDEN IS "CHIEF BENEFICIARY"

 
           Pro-choice Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-01) bowed out of the 12/5
      mail-in special primary to fill the seat of resigning pro-choice
      Sen. Bob Packwood (R), citing money as the reason.  Her move
      leaves the Dem contest between pro-choice Reps. Ron Wyden (D-03)
      and Peter DeFazio (D-04).  Pro-choice state Schools Supt. Norma
      Paulus (R), who faces pro-life Senate Pres. Gordon Smith and
      Labor Commis. Jack Roberts in the GOP primary, is now the only
      woman in the running to succeed Packwood, whose resignation
      becomes effective this weekend.  Furse "had hoped her gender and
      liberal activism would open up the wallets of donors and propel
      her" to victory.  Instead, she "found that many big contributors
      were sitting out" the primary "and she couldn't raise the
      $750,000 she needed to pay for an advertising campaign before
      ballots are mailed to voters in mid-November."  Some analysts
      said that a "woman would have an edge with voters upset by the
      sexual-misconduct scandal that forced Packwood to resign, but it
      didn't unleash a flood of campaign money of support for Furse."
      Paulus spokesperson K.C. Cowan: "I truly don't think Oregonians
      are going to vote for a person just because she's a woman.  I
      think Elizabeth was deeply mistaken in making that assertion."
      Furse said she would endorse the Dem primary winner and "did not
      rule out" running for OR's other Senate seat in '96, if pro-life
      Sen. Mark Hatfield (R) retires.  Wyden "appeared to be the chief
      beneficiary of Furse's decision" because he no longer has a
      competitor from the metro-Portland area.  Furse's decision
      "further underscored the importance of ready access" to money.
      Candidates "must have" their TV ad buys "in full gear" by 11/15,
      the day the ballots are mailed out to voters.  Wyden "has the big
      advantage" because he had $500,000 in the bank as of 6/30;
      DeFazio had $118,000, Furse $50,000.  DeFazio called Furse's
      decision a "tragedy" that underscored the need to "get the money
      out of politics."  He called on Wyden to accept a $500,000
      spending limit: "This election shouldn't be determined by which
      candidate has the biggest warchest."  Wyden, rejecting the idea:
      "The Democrat who emerges from the primary is going to have to
      compete with an extremely well-funded Republican opponent."
      Wyden "praised Furse's ability and said he hoped his work on
      women's health issues would win him many of her supporters."  On
      the GOP side, Smith, a multi-millionaire, is already on TV with
      ads he's paying for "out of his own pocket" (Mapes, Portland
      OREGONIAN, 9/28).

The Abortion Report