Oregon News by Britten Chase

Most Oregon politicians are preoccupied with who will run in Oregon’s open gubernatorial seat in 2010, but Speaker of the House-elect Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas) offered a prediction for a much later Oregon Governor’s race when he addressed the Oregon Leadership summit on Thursday.

Hunt briefly mentioned his daughter Emily’s concerns about education, and made note of the fact that his daughter seemed rather politically adept despite being eight years old.

A spokeswoman for Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri said Ameri would not be discussing if she's interested in becoming the next chair of the Oregon Republican Party.

"Assistant Secretary Ameri will not be discussing her future plans while in her current position,” said Kate Starr, spokeswoman for the ECA Bureau. “She is focused on finishing her tenure as head of the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau at the Department of State."

Two more candidates are interested in becoming the next chair of the Oregon Republican Party, according to a Thursday report on Oregon Catalyst.
 

PORTLAND-- U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) received a shout-out from ESCO Corporation CEO and Oregon Business Chair Steve Pratt in his opening remarks at the Oregon leadership summit Thursday morning.

“Senator Smith has been a great friend of the Oregon business plan,” Pratt said. “He has worked in a bipartisan way to set the tone with his colleagues and get work done.”