Wednesday, May 17, 2006

OR--Hill Can't Climb Mountain

Facing an incumbent, even an unpopular one, is a tall task for the most qualified and liked opponent.

That task was the quest for Oregon gubernatorial candidate Jim Hill and with 99% of the precincts reporting, Hill was not up to the task losing to Governor Ted Kulongoski by little over 73,000 votes (www.blackpolicy.org/black-races.php?s=OR).

A former State Treasurer, elected twice in '92 and '96, Hill seemed to be an attractive alternative for Democrats against an embattled incumbent governor who has been ridiculed for using republican ideas, but he couldn't overcome the inherent advantage of incumbency.

While incumbency adds gravitas to any campaign, the fact that Hill had a higher approval rating and a lower disapproval makes us wonder if there was a little more to the campaign.

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