07/15/2008

By MATTHEW DALY  / Associated Press

Republican Mike Erickson has spent nearly $1.6 million — most of it his own money — as he seeks to replace retiring Rep. Darlene Hooley in Oregon's 5th Congressional District.

Erickson, a wealthy businessman from Lake Oswego who ran unsuccessfully against Hooley in 2006, has loaned his campaign more than $1.5 million so far, a new campaign finance report shows. The total far exceeds the $396,499 Erickson has raised from other sources, according to a report filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.

Erickson's Democratic opponent, state Sen. Kurt Schrader, has raised more than $500,000 — including $130,000 in loans to himself.

Schrader, of Canby, has about $231,000 cash on hand after spending $281,501 since joining the Democratic race in February.

Schrader defeated several Democratic rivals in the May 20 primary, while Erickson staved off a strong challenge from former state GOP chair Kevin Mannix.

Erickson spent about $1.3 million in the primary, campaign manager Jeff Harvey said Tuesday. The total expenses of $1.58 million are close to what Erickson spent during the entire campaign two years ago, when he spent nearly $1.8 million in a losing bid against Hooley. Erickson spent about $1.6 million of his own money in 2006.

"It's going to be an expensive race," Harvey said, noting that both parties have targeted the Salem-based district, which is one of the few open Democratic House seats in the country. The race is considered competitive, because Democratic and Republican voter registration is closely split in the district.

Harvey declined to say how much Erickson expects to raise or spend, saying merely that, "We're going to do as much fundraising as we can."

Schrader's campaign manager, Paul Gage, also declined to give a fundraising target.

"We're going to raise as much as we need to be competitive," he said, adding: "We're facing an opponent with seemingly unlimited resources."

Erickson is CEO of AFMS, a company that advises businesses on ways to lower their shipping expenses.

"He put a ton of money in the primary, he put a ton of money in the last election against Representative Hooley, and we fully expect him to put in a bunch of his own money against us," Gage said.

Democrats have resources of their own. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved $1.2 million worth of television advertising time to support Schrader's bid. The DCCC said in a recent memo it has reserved time in the Portland market between the end of September and Election Day, meaning they have locked in a rate and have the time if they want it.

Meanwhile, Hooley transferred $100,000 to the DCCC in May, according to a report filed Tuesday. Hooley also returned more than $28,000 to her contributors, the report said. She still has $187,280 in her account.