Westlund (Independent) quits Oregon gov race, helping Kulongoski

[Awsi Dooger]

I was relieved to see this. Kulongoski has a poll lead but his percentage is relatively low and his approval numbers were an abysmal 39-55 in last month's SurveyUSA poll. You can't afford an independent run in a situation like that.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003190030_webwestlund10.html

SALEM, Ore. — State Sen. Ben Westlund, an independent from Central Oregon, said today he has dropped out of the gubernatorial race, potentially shifting momentum in the race toward Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

At a hastily called news conference, Westlund told said he didn't want to be a "spoiler" candidate — in other words, skimming off just enough votes from the Kulongoski camp to give Republican challenger Ron Saxton the victory in what's expected to be one of the nation's most closely fought gubernatorial contests.

<snip>

A political fixture in Central Oregon, Westlund dropped out of the Republican Party with great fanfare earlier this year, and announced that he'd make a run for the governor's seat.

As an independent, he had to collect 18,368 signatures from voters who had not cast a ballot for partisan races in the May primary election. Early checks of the signatures from his home county of Deschutes suggested that he would easily make the ballot, and Westlund himself said today he was confident that he would have had enough signatures to make the ballot.

Polls showed Westlund pulling between 5 and 14 percent, but his statewide name recognition was stubbornly low, even after months on the campaign trail. And general political wisdom held that he would attract more potential Kulongoski voters, especially after he staked out high-profile, left-leaning stands on a sales tax, universal health care, civil unions and land-use planning.

[AX10]

1. k&r

[wiley]

2. Hey Joe, Westlund could be a moral and ethical role model for you.

He walked the bi-partisan walk with dignity.