Does a Republican stand a fighting chance for Oregon's governor's post?
Oregon Democrats will say informally that, if there's one such leader they're worried about, it's Knute Buehler, a charming and smart (he's a medical doctor) politician from a key state region — Central Oregon — who leans more moderate than hard right.
VIEW SLIDESHOW: Knute Buehler's top contributors
He's also not a shabby fundraiser, having snagged more than $2.1 million since October.
That money could serve him well, particularly in a state where his party hasn't held the gubernatorial spot since 1986. It could also augment a wave of cash that could swing Buehler's way as the campaign proceeds: As it stands, his top 26 donors over the last nine months, in contrast to Gov. Kate Brown's, are either from Oregon or, in the case of former Oregon Investment Council Chair Katherine Durant, closely associated with the state.
"All this will get caught up in national strategies," explained Jim Moore, the Pacific University political science professor who's long tracked state elections. "The Republicans have 33 governorships right now, the Democrats have 16 (with one independent). In an off-year election, the president’s party almost always loses congressional seats and governorships.
"If Buehler is seen as an 'R' chance to pick up a governorship while the national party is losing them in other parts of the country, he could become a symbol of a post-Trump Republican party. And he could rake in the contributions."
Moore's keeping an eye on one very big pending donor type. If national Republican groups, such as the Republican Governors Association, it's a good sign to other big non-Oregon that Buehler has a shot, Moore said.
The contributors listed here don't include Phil Knight, who gave Buehler $500,000 last August. Click through to learn a bit more about Buehler's 26 biggest donors (there's a four-way tie at what's effectively the No. 25 slot) since Oct. 1.
The Portland Business Journal is a KGW News partner.