Douglas
County Commissioner Tim Freeman has collected $43,790 in campaign
contributions so far this year, while his nearest competitor, Brandy
Stone, has collected about 1.5 percent of that.
The
News-Review looked at the Oregon secretary of state’s records on
campaign contributions to local candidates for Douglas County
commissioner and the state House of Representatives. As of Tuesday,
Republicans were out-earning Democrats in state races, and incumbent
county commissioners were far outpacing their challengers in campaign
contributions.
The
most dramatic campaign finance disparity in those races is in the race
that pits incumbent Freeman against four challengers. Three of those
challengers — Rita Harris, Victor Petrucci and Roseburg City Councilor
Ashley Hicks — have reported no campaign contributions at all. Stone has
collected $669.70.
While
Stone’s campaign is mostly funded by donations under $100, so small the
donors’ names don’t have to be reported, Freeman’s campaign is heavily
funded by business donors, including a substantial number who are in the
timber industry. Over the past month, he’s received $17,500 from the
timber industry.
Stone
made a campaign issue out of those differences. She said too much
corporate money was being received by Freeman. Freeman has argued he
doesn’t see business contributions as negative, since those businesses
are owned by individuals who employ other individuals.
The
campaign finance reports also indicate that Freeman has out-earned
Stone even in those small, under-$100 donors. Over the past month, he’s
received $840 in such contributions, while Stone has garnered about half
that, $402.
The
disparity between incumbent Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice and
his nearest challenger, Jeremy Salter, is only slightly less dramatic.
Boice has gathered $31,260 in 2018 campaign donations, while Salter has
collected about 5 percent of that, at $1,669.
About
$290 of Salter’s earnings during the past month came from individual
contributions under $100. His largest donation in the past month was
$200 from Stacey Hawks.
Boice
collected a mixture of business and small donations. Over the past
month, he received $1,060 in individual contributions under $100. Over
the same period, he generated thousands in business contributions,
including $3,000 from timber-related businesses. His largest
contributions in the past month were $2,000 apiece from North River
Boats and Douglas County Forest Products.
Two other challengers in that race have reported no earnings. They are Jason Leeper and James Hoyt.
State
House District 2 was until recently filled by Rep. Dallas Heard,
R-Winston. Heard was recently appointed to the state Senate. While his
name will appear on the May ballot, he’s no longer running for the
position. That leaves Gary Leif as the eligible Republican primary
candidate. The lone candidate on the Democratic primary ballot is Megan
Salter, who is Jeremy Salter’s wife.
Megan
Salter has raised about 26 percent of the amount Leif has raised so far
this year. Salter has received $1,150 in 2018 contributions, while Leif
has raised $4,350. Over the past month, $150 of Salter’s donations have
been from small contributions under $100, while $100 of Leif’s have
been.
The
largest contribution to Leif’s campaign over the past month is $2,000
from Dallas Heard’s father Dick Heard. He also recently received a
$1,000 contribution from Ireland LLC, a Myrtle Creek-based trucking
company.
Leif
is currently a Douglas County commissioner. Unlike his fellow
commissioners, Leif has generated minimal campaign funds from
timber-related businesses. He received $250 from Don Whitaker Logging
and Hauling in February.
Salter’s
largest contributions over the past month were from Stacey Hawks and
Heather Faldalen, each of whom gave $200. Her largest contributions this
year were $250 from Kristen McFall and an in-kind contribution from
Future PAC, House Builders, an organization of House Democrats that
seeks to promote Democratic candidates for the House.
State
House District 7 incumbent Rep. Cedric Hayden, R-Fall Creek, has raised
$19,014 in 2018 campaign contributions. Challenger Christy Inskip, a
Cottage Grove Democrat, has raised less than 13 percent of that amount,
with $2,399 in donations.
Inskip’s
name will appear on Democratic primary ballots, where she’s unopposed.
Hayden’s name will appear on Republican primary ballots, where he’s
unopposed. That means they’re sure to face each other in the November
general election.
District
7 covers North Douglas and South Lane counties, and includes the
communities of Sutherlin, Yoncalla, Oakland and Elkton.
About
half Inskip’s contributions this year, $1,134, have come from small
individual donations under $100. About $400 of that is from the past
month. She has virtually no donations from businesses, but did receive a
$250 in-kind contribution from Future PAC, House Builders.
Hayden,
on the other hand, has generated $500 in small donations since the
beginning of the year, and just $5 in small donations over the past
month. Business contributors to Hayden’s campaign include Capitol Dental
Care, which contributed $3,000; the Oregon Business Association PAC,
which donated $1,000 and Wildish Land Co., which donated $1,000. He
received $500 donations from Weyerhaueser, Albertsons Safeway,
Genentech, Avista Corp and Caremark Rx pharmacy company.
Reporter Carisa Cegavske can be reached at 541-957-4213 or ccegavske@nrtoday.com.