Joe Biden’s appearance this week on the campaign trail in Oregon says as much about Democrats’ struggles in the reliable blue state as it does about his own careful approach to the midterms.
Now, hoping to avoid a devastating loss in a Democratic enclave, and with polls showing a dead heat for the governorship, the White House approached former Oregon state House Speaker Tina Kotek to arrange the presidential visit in support of her campaign.“Suddenly, everyone figured out we have a real governor’s race out here,” said Jake Weigler, an Oregon Democratic strategist not involved in the contest. “People are waking up and thinking that losing could actually happen.
A bit of recent history will linger over him too. Biden’s stumping in the state comes almost exactly a dozen years after then-President Barack Obama — whose approval numbers at the time also hovered in the low- to -mid-40s — touched down in Portland for a huge get-out-the-vote rally for the Democratic nominee for governor at the time. John Kitzhaber, a well-known figure who served two terms in the office from 1995 to 2003, won by fewer than 2 percentage points that year.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek speaks to supporters after the results of Oregon's primary election are announced in Portland, Ore., May 17, 2022. | Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Photo