By Keith Chu / The Bulletin
Published: November 05. 2008 4:00AM PSTThe race between Jeff Merkley, pictured with wife Mary Sorteberg, and Gordon Smith remained undecided early this morning. Smith led by less than 1 percentage point as of 3 a.m. today.
The race between Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., above with wife Sharon, and Jeff Merkley, below with wife Mary Sorteberg, remained undecided late Tuesday. Merkley led by 1 percentage point.
For the latest results in this and other races, go to www.bendbulletin.com/results.
WASHINGTON — With the majority of votes from Democratic strongholds in Multnomah and Lane counties yet to be counted, incumbent U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith held a less than 3 percentage point lead over Democrat Jeff Merkley, as of 6:30 a.m. today.
Both candidates said the contest was too close to call and urged their supporters to check back later this morning.
Smith led Merkley 47.3 percent to 46.8 percent, according to vote totals from the state elections division. The results reflected a ferocious campaign between Smith and Merkley, which included unprecedented spending on television advertising and millions chipped in by out-of-state interest groups for both candidates.
Lewis & Clark College professor Robert Eisinger said Smith’s vulnerability this year is more the product of a bad climate for Republicans than any missteps on his part.
“I don’t think Smith ran a bad campaign,” Eisinger said. “I’ll go so far as to say Smith ran a superb campaign.”
At stake is Oregon’s clout in the new, overwhelmingly Democratic Congress. Smith is the last Republican senator on the West Coast. If the results hold, his loss could cost rural Western voters a link to a party that traditionally has been closer to their views, said Mark Walker, an aide to former Oregon Republican Sen. Mark Hatfield for 11 years.
“Historically, Western Republicans have this reputation of being interested in public lands and energy issues, I think more so than the Democrats,” Walker said. “The question is, will Western Democrats take the same interest in those issues?”
By replacing a two-term senator with a freshman, the state would lose seniority, which is key to building relationships and eventually chairing a committee or subcommittee. But Smith may have limited Oregon’s influence because his two most important committees — Finance and Energy, and Natural Resources — are the same as Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden’s, Walker said. Senators from the same state and party rarely sit on the same committees.
Merkley could give the state more clout, said Oregon State University Professor Jim Foster, especially if he can ally with Wyden to push Oregon.
“(Smith) hasn’t been all that productive, legislatively or pork-wise, because he’s been on the outs with his very conservative party caucus,” Foster said. “A Merkley/Wyden alliance in a Democratically controlled Senate could be a powerful coalition.”
Keith Chu can be reached at 202-662-7456 or at kchu@bendbulletin.com.
Published Daily in Bend Oregon by Western Communications, Inc. © 2009