Former lawmaker Brian Clem to spend $1 million to elect moderate Democrats to Oregon Legislature
Former Democratic lawmaker Brian Clem of Salem is preparing to spend $1 million to elect centrist Democrats to the Legislature, campaign finance filings show.He gave that sum Sunday to a political action committee he created in 2022 to carry out that aim. The contribution is the second largest in Oregon this year, behind the $2 million that Nike co-founder Phil Knight gave to a Republican-aligned political action committee last month.Clem, who served in the Oregon House from 2007 to 2021, formed Oregonians Are Ready to elect moderate lawmakers to the Legislature. Five other former lawmakers joined in that effort, but Clem has contributed about 85% of the money the PAC has taken in.Clem told The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday that one of the first candidates to receive a portion of the $1 million will be Peter Grabiel, an environmental lawyer and Democrat vying to represent Portland’s west side in the Oregon House.The committee gave Grabiel $5,000 last week, campaign finance filings show, but Clem said in a text, “We are just getting started for Pete. We will definitely be making sure he has the resources he needs to run a competitive race.”The group also gave Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, $5,000 in February. Clem didn’t say what other candidates the committee intends to support.“Our group will be making decisions in the coming days,” Clem said. “This spending will be focused on candidates in this election cycle and we are looking to support common sense problem solvers.”Grabiel is competing against doctor Brian Duty and health care clinic CEO Shannon Jones Isadore in the May 21 Democratic primary for House District 33, a seat currently held by Rep. Maxine Dexter, who is running for Congress. Whoever wins the primary is expected to coast to victory in November, as registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans more than seven-to-one in the district.As of Tuesday, Duty has raised about $96,000, Grabiel has raised $73,000 and Isadore has brought in $15,100, campaign finance filings show.Grabiel told The Oregonian/OregonLive he was not expecting financial backing from Clem’s political committee, but said it makes sense because he’s “willing to moderate from the standard line of things that far left Democrats want to see.”“I know that [Clem] wants to see more pragmatism come out of Portland,” Grabiel said. “He knows that I’m a pragmatic liberal Democrat that shares that value with him, and he thinks that I can be a breakthrough where others have not been.”For example, Grabiel said, he was the only Democratic candidate in his race who spoke in favor of rolling back Measure 110, Oregon’s landmark drug decriminalization law, before this year’s legislative session.“That was a moderate position, that was a risky position to take,” Grabiel said. “For months, I was alone in this position, which is now a mainstream position in the party. I believe taking this moderate position caused a number of left leaning special interest groups to refuse to endorse me.”— Carlos Fuentes covers state politics and government. Reach him at 503-221-5386 or cfuentes@oregonian.com.Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.
The contribution is the second largest in Oregon this year.
Former Democratic lawmaker Brian Clem of Salem is preparing to spend $1 million to elect centrist Democrats to the Legislature, campaign finance filings show.
He gave that sum Sunday to a political action committee he created in 2022 to carry out that aim. The contribution is the second largest in Oregon this year, behind the $2 million that Nike co-founder Phil Knight gave to a Republican-aligned political action committee last month.
Clem, who served in the Oregon House from 2007 to 2021, formed Oregonians Are Ready to elect moderate lawmakers to the Legislature. Five other former lawmakers joined in that effort, but Clem has contributed about 85% of the money the PAC has taken in.
Clem told The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday that one of the first candidates to receive a portion of the $1 million will be Peter Grabiel, an environmental lawyer and Democrat vying to represent Portland’s west side in the Oregon House.
The committee gave Grabiel $5,000 last week, campaign finance filings show, but Clem said in a text, “We are just getting started for Pete. We will definitely be making sure he has the resources he needs to run a competitive race.”
The group also gave Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, $5,000 in February. Clem didn’t say what other candidates the committee intends to support.
“Our group will be making decisions in the coming days,” Clem said. “This spending will be focused on candidates in this election cycle and we are looking to support common sense problem solvers.”
Grabiel is competing against doctor Brian Duty and health care clinic CEO Shannon Jones Isadore in the May 21 Democratic primary for House District 33, a seat currently held by Rep. Maxine Dexter, who is running for Congress. Whoever wins the primary is expected to coast to victory in November, as registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans more than seven-to-one in the district.
As of Tuesday, Duty has raised about $96,000, Grabiel has raised $73,000 and Isadore has brought in $15,100, campaign finance filings show.
Grabiel told The Oregonian/OregonLive he was not expecting financial backing from Clem’s political committee, but said it makes sense because he’s “willing to moderate from the standard line of things that far left Democrats want to see.”
“I know that [Clem] wants to see more pragmatism come out of Portland,” Grabiel said. “He knows that I’m a pragmatic liberal Democrat that shares that value with him, and he thinks that I can be a breakthrough where others have not been.”
For example, Grabiel said, he was the only Democratic candidate in his race who spoke in favor of rolling back Measure 110, Oregon’s landmark drug decriminalization law, before this year’s legislative session.
“That was a moderate position, that was a risky position to take,” Grabiel said. “For months, I was alone in this position, which is now a mainstream position in the party. I believe taking this moderate position caused a number of left leaning special interest groups to refuse to endorse me.”
— Carlos Fuentes covers state politics and government. Reach him at 503-221-5386 or cfuentes@oregonian.com.
Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.