State rep from Bend won’t run for governor


Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend) says he will continue to work in the Oregon legislature.

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BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend) says he will continue to work in the Oregon legislature instead of pursuing Gov. Kate Brown’s seat.

His statement:

In the end, I realized I’m not ready — just yet — to leave my medical practice, patients, nonprofit boards and business in order to commit 100% of my time that running an energetic campaign for Governor requires and deserves. Serving another term in the Oregon House will allow me to continue serving the community and the state I love while also engaging in a profession that is both fulfilling and allows my patients to lead better lives.

Willamette Week speculated that the likely high turnout from Democrats in a presidential election convinced the representative to pursue a run in 2018, a mid-term election, which Republicans usually dominate.

He gave his campaign account $10,000 on July 8, kicking off speculation over whether he’d run for governor, and reported several donations between then and now. He spent his freshman session working to pass a measure that allowed women to receive birth control from a pharmacy without needing to see a physician first.

Jim Moore, director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, said Buehler’s name still isn’t recognizable statewide to contend with a likely run against Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who has yet to announce a potential bid for re-election but is the likely Democratic candidate.

(SOURCE: Bend Bulletin)

With Buehler out, and Ted Wheeler likely running against Charlie Hales to be the mayor of Portland, will Brown have a viable challenger in 2016?

 


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