FOX: SALEM, Ore. – Oregon state Rep. Knute Buehler has won the GOP gubernatorial primary, besting a crowded field vying to compete against incumbent Democrat Kate Brown in November.
Buehler, who ran for secretary of state in 2012, was the most centrist of the Republican front-runners.
While skeptical of major new spending, Buehler says he is open to increased taxes on electronic and regular cigarettes to pay for budget items like health care, and also to a carbon tax.
Buehler defeated retired Navy pilot Greg Wooldridge and businessman Sam Carpenter in his party’s primary.
In the general election, the Republican candidate will have to overcome a built-in disadvantage: The party trails Democrats by more than 9 percentage points in voter registrations.
A total of 10 Republicans registered in the GOP race. That’s the largest GOP gubernatorial primary field in more than 50 years.
The front-runners did have similarities, including a shared approach to the crisis surrounding Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System, known as PERS, which is running a $25.3 billion deficit. At the local level, pension obligations are forcing some cities to cut back on basic services like road maintenance.
Whoever wins the Oregon gubernatorial race must address the burgeoning public pension problem. I would suggest that Oregon suspend all services to the public (without laying off any public employees) and quit wasting this money on citizen services while devoting 100% of their tax dollars to pension and medical benefits for former, current and future Oregon public servants. This should fix the pension deficit problem and generate sufficient revenue to increase the woeful gold plated benefits to public employees to a diamond or platinum standard.
Can’t help but wonder whether Ben Stein did any campaign ads for him.
I guess this falls under the old William F Buckey maxim, nominate the most conservative candidate that can win. Not conservative, but perhaps a little more restrained than the current corrupt governor. I’m totally an outsider on this, so I don’t really know.
If he’s open to a carbon tax – he’s not really a conservative. Just another RINO.
They don’t need to raise taxes. Tell every department head to figure out how to cut their agencies by 10%, without the public noticing, or outsiders will come in and make cuts for them, starting at the top!
PHenry: You are correct, sir. Oregon is blue, so any republican running for state office has to be centrist. Oregon, sadly was an early victim of the California effect. I will take a RINO over a Democrat if I have to.