Incumbent Democrat Darlene Hooley is campaigning for her sixth term as state representative for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, hoping to beat out Portland State alumnus and local business owner, Republican challenger Mike Erickson.
Hooley, elected to the 105th congress in 1996, is pushing for affordable health care, affordable tuition for colleges and higher quality public education. She is also setting a plan to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Hooley originally voted no against the Iraq war.
Erickson, who played football for PSU and was student body president in 1986, and Hooley have some similar campaign goals. He said it is critical to invest more money in higher education, push for more accessible health care and keep a strong Oregon economy.
”The economy is critical,” he said. “A strong infrastructure will lead to a strong economy in the state.”
Erickson said he believes it is important to invest in the environment, particularly with investing federal dollars into fuel research. He said he believes it is important to protect the nation’s borders from terrorism and drug influxes.
”I will do everything I can within my power in Congress to pass legislation to protect our citizens,” he said, “to secure our border and the reduce the drug flow that comes in.”
According to her official campaign website, Hooley is outraged at the direction politics are headed in Washington, D.C.
”The Bush administration and the current Republican leaders in Congress are leading our great country in the wrong direction, and it’s time we say enough is enough,” Hooley posted on her website.
Erickson has contributed over $1 million of his own money to the campaign. His contributions triggered a provision of the federal campaign finance law, the “millionaire’s amendment,” which boosted the limit for individual contributions for Hooley from $2,100 to $6,300 per person.
Hooley moved to Oregon from North Dakota in 1947 when she was eight. She has lived in Oregon’s 5th District ever since. Hooley graduated from high school in Salem, and graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor of science in education.
Hooley serves on the Financial Services Committee, Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Science Committee in Congress. She is the first Oregon Democrat to serve on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. In the Financial Services Committee, Hooley has fought for prevention efforts against identification theft. In 2004, she passed a bill that provides U.S. citizens with the ability to see their credit reports for free.
The former PSU business school graduate decided to run for Congress earlier this year. He currently runs a consulting firm, AFMS, that negotiates shipping deals for his clients. Erickson created the business in his basement in 1992, and today it is one of Inc. Magazine’s top 500 fastest growing companies.
Erickson has no formal political experience except for his time served as student body president in 1986 and 1987. Erickson also ran for a House seat in 1988, winning the Republican primary, but losing the November election.
The 5th District was formed in 1983. It encompasses much of the Oregon coastline, and parts of Multnomah, Clackamas and Benton counties. Hooley was the first representative of her district to be elected for a fifth term.
Former Rep. Denny Smith had previously served the greatest number of terms, serving four from 1983-1991. The district has had a total of four representatives, two Republicans and two Democrats.