Romney Wins Arizona, Michigan as Hopefuls Look Toward 'Super' Test

Mitt Romney, after fending off Rick Santorum in his home state of Michigan, is fast-approaching the biggest test so far of his volatile front-runner status: next week’s Super Tuesday contests where 419 delegates are up for grabs. ✧ The former Massachusetts governor will take all 29 of Arizona's delegates. With 100 percent of precincts reporting in the state, Romney was leading Santorum 47-27 percent. Gingrich came in third, while Paul placed last in the state. [...] Unlike in Arizona, though, Romney will end up sharing Michigan's 30 delegates with Santorum in the relatively close race. ✧ Romney received 41 percent of the vote in Michigan, followed by Santorum with 38 percent. Paul placed third in the state, followed by Gingrich. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Former State Representative Betsy Close Announces Candidacy for Benton County Commission, Position 3

North Albany- Betsy Close, the former Oregon State Representative, House District 15 will seek the Benton County Commission seat in the 2012 Primary and General Elections. The former legislator says she is alarmed at the recent direction of Benton County government and will focus on cleaning up systems, restoring trust, and providing the delivery of essential county services more efficiently at reduced cost. “We should follow the motto of one very successful private company in serving Benton County residents: “Expect more, Pay less.”

“I am running because I find the recent decisions of the commission alarming, from long, unreasonable delays in land use decisions to the abolishing of the County Assessor, which was at one time an elected position. We are losing our right to elect our government and the right to use our own land as we see fit. The hiring of a Chief Operating Officer from Michigan at $150,556 per year is a startling expense in the face of tight resources and high unemployment. The county needs to cut back expenses and streamline our programs in able to provide more efficiently, the essential county services our residents need and rely on, such as Public Safety, Road Maintenance, Permitting, and Elections. These services also provide jobs to our residents. Let’s move forward with a trim, strong Benton County.”

As a three-term legislator from Albany, Rep. Close served as Assistant Majority Leader and dealt with major issues now facing county government. As Chair of Water and Environment, Co-Chair of Natural Resources, and Chair of Business, Labor, and Consumer Affairs, Close was involved in writing and passing major pieces of legislation: the postponement of energy de-regulation in Oregon during the energy crisis and the restructuring of the Public Contracting statutes.

Betsy Close has worked as a public school teacher in Washington and Oregon. She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Oregon State University, where she taught classes and earned a Master of Science degree in 1978. Close worked for Benton County as an Instructor and Job Developer. Betsy and Chris Close have lived in Benton County for 36 years, raising their four children here. Rep. Close has remained politically active as Chief of Staff for Rep. Dennis Richardson (Central Point, OR) and as a Precinct Committeeperson in Jackson and Benton counties.

Related: Democrat Herald - Former representative to run for Benton board Read More......

Maine GOP chairman say Romney wins caucuses

Results Update: Mitt Romney 39%, Ron Paul 36% (Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich did not compete in the Maine Caucuses). Read article at AP: Maine GOP chairman say Romney wins caucuses Read More......

Romney wins The Washington Times/CPAC Straw Poll

WASHINGTON TIMES - [...] Mr. Romney won 38 percent of the straw poll, which counted the votes of 3,408 activists gathered for the Conservative Political Action Conference, which ran from Thursday through Saturday at a hotel in Washington.

Mr. Santorum was second with 31 percent, Newt Gingrich was third with 15 percent and Rep. Ron Paul was fourth with 12 percent — far below his showing the last two years, when he won with 31 in 2010 and 30 percent in 2011. Read more at the Washington Times... Read More......

Santorum sweeps: Beats Romney in upset Colorado caucuses finish

Rick Santorum pulled off an upset victory in Colorado, capping a three-win night on Tuesday. He defeated Mitt Romney in a state where the former Massachusetts governor was expected to glide to victory.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Santorum eked out a win with about 40 percent to Romney’s 35 percent. Newt Gingrich came in third with 13 percent, followed by Ron Paul with 12 percent. Read more at THE HILL... Read More......

Santorum Takes Minnesota, Missouri

FOX NEWS, 2/7/2012 - [Rick Santorum] GOP candidate wins non-binding Missouri primary and Minnesota caucuses and takes an early lead in the Colorado caucuses, as he looks to take role of top rival to Romney. Read more at Fox News...

Reporting live: Ron Paul finished a solid number two. Colorado is still counting. Read More......

Romney Wins Nevada Caucuses for Second Straight Victory

BUSINESS WEEK, 2/5/2012 - (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney won yesterday’s Nevada caucuses, solidifying his front-runner status in the Republican presidential race and gaining fresh momentum heading into a series of state contests over the next month, even as his main rival vowed to continue fighting.

[...] Romney had 48 percent of the vote, with 71 percent of precincts reporting, according to an Associated Press tally today. Gingrich had 23 percent, followed by U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas with 19 percent and former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 11 percent. Read more at Business Week... Read More......

Trump endorses Romney

Trump was asked about the reasons for his decision to back Romney.

"I think his general attitude but the last two debates were very impressive. I really thought he did really well plus he’s the one person who speaks strongly about China because China is ripping off this country like nobody is ripping this country," Trump told reporters in Las Vegas. "I thought he did very well in the debates, that was very important ... I think if he debates that well, I don't think Obama will fare well against him." Read more at NBC...

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Democrat wins special election to replace disgraced Oregon congressman

[Suzanne] Bonamici was the favorite in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans and where President Barack Obama enjoyed significant support in 2008. She defeated Republican Rob Cornilles, the owner of a consulting business who said he was best qualified to create jobs. Read more at Fox News...

Thank you to Charles and Jean Nelson and all who traveled from Benton County to make calls and knock on doors for Rob Cornilles. And a special thank you to Mr. Cornilles for taking on this difficult race. Our best to him and his beautiful family. --bc Read More......

Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary

Mitt Romney wins the Florida GOP primary, reasserting his front-runner status and taking all 50 of the state's delegates, while Newt Gingrich finishes a distant second, with Rick Santorum in third and Ron Paul in fourth. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Karen Bowerman files for CD-5

Karen Bowerman, a retired business school dean from California who moved to Lake Oswego a year ago, has filed to run for the U.S. House seat for Oregon's Fifth District, currently held by Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader. Ms. Bowerman introduced herself to Executive Committee members of the Benton County Republican Central Committee last Thursday, January 26th.

Campaign Website: Karen Bowerman for U.S. Congress Read More......

Cain Endorses Gingrich

January 28, 2012 - Former candidate Herman Cain endorses Newt Gingrich for the Republican Presidential Nominee.

"And it is not going to get any better until we solve ... a crisis of leadership in the White House. That is our other biggest crisis, and that is why I am happy to be here tonight because I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for President of the United States." Video at Breitbart.TV

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Gingrich Wins South Carolina Primary

Gingrich beats Romney in Palmetto State, further scrambling a volatile GOP presidential primary season that has produced three different winners in three states, as Santorum comes in third place. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Perry drops out of Republican presidential race, endorses Gingrich

Rick Perry dropped out of the presidential race Thursday and endorsed Newt Gingrich, a move that comes just two days before the South Carolina Republican primary. ✧ The Texas governor, saying he will return to his state "with pride," announced in South Carolina that "there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign." Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Huntsman to Drop Out, Back Romney

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is set to announce his withdrawal from the Republican presidential race on Monday in South Carolina, at which point he will endorse Romney as 'the best candidate to defeat Obama.' Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Romney secures front-runner status with New Hampshire win

Mitt Romney scored a decisive victory in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, securing his second win in the first two contests of the presidential nominating season and trying to turn his front-running campaign into a steamroller. Read more at Fox News...

With 95% of the vote in, results of the New Hampshire Republican Primary are:

Mitt Romney 39%, Ron Paul 23%, Jon Huntsman 17%, Newt Gingrich 9%, Rick Santorum 9% and Rick Perry 1%.

Read More......

Bachmann Drops Out of Presidential Race

Representative Michele Bachmann ended her campaign to become the 2012 Republican presidential nominee on Wednesday and called on supporters to rally behind the party's eventual choice. Read more at Fox Business... Read More......

McCain Endorses Romney

Sen. John McCain has endorsed Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Read more at Roll Call... Read More......

Romney Edges Out Santorum to Win Iowa Caucuses

1/19/2012 UPDATE... New result revealed. Rick Santorum won the Iowa Caucuses by 34 votes. Christian Post/Reuters

1/4/2012 - Mitt Romney edged out Rick Santorum early Wednesday morning to win the Iowa caucuses, in a photo finish that represents one of the closest contests in presidential campaign history.

After a grueling night of ballot-tallying and anticipation, the Iowa Republican Party reported that the former Massachusetts governor won the race by just eight votes. A trickle of final precinct returns allowed Romney to overtake Santorum, who had been leading narrowly for much of the night. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Upcoming December Debates (as of 12/3/11)

December 10, 2011 9pm ET on ABC
Location: Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa
Sponsor: ABC News, ABC5/WOI-DT, The Des Moines Register and Republican Party of Iowa
Participants: TBD

December 12, 2011 Gingrich/Huntsman Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Air Time and Channel TBD
Location: New Hampshire
Sponsor: TBD
Participants: Gingrich, Huntsman

December 15, 2011 9pm ET on Fox News
Location: Sioux City Convention Center in Sioux City, Iowa
Sponsor: Fox News and Republican Party of Iowa
Participants: TBD

December 19, 2011 Cancelled ˆ Joined with Dec 10 ABC debate
Location: Iowa Public Television in Johnston, IA
Sponsor: The Des Moines Register, Iowa Public Television, PBS NEWSHOUR, Google and YouTube
Participants: TBD

December 27, 2011 Air Time TBD on Ion Television ˆ (Channel Finder)
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Sponsor: Newsmax and Ion Televison ˆ moderated by Donald Trump
Participants: TBD Read More......

Cain Suspends Presidential Campaign

FOX NEWS, 12/3/2011 - Cain Suspends Presidential Campaign, Cites 'Hurt' Caused by 'False' Allegations - Herman Cain announced Saturday that he is suspending his campaign for president, telling a crowd of supporters in his home state that the allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity had become too big a burden on his family. Read more at Fox... Read More......

Cain, Romney neck-and-neck in Iowa Poll

USA TODAY, 10/30/2011 - [Excerpt] "Cain has surged to the top spot in the Iowa Poll, published by the Des Moines Register on Saturday night, and leads Romney 23% to 22%. That essentially mirrors what is going on nationally, with the former pizza executive edging the ex-Massachusetts governor in recent surveys." Read more at USA Today...

The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012. Read More......

Oregon: Thompson announces another run for 5th Congressional District seat

Fred Thompson, who campaigned for the 2010 Republican nomination in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, said he is preparing to challenge Congressman Kurt Schrader in the November 2012 election. Read more at Clackamas Review Read More......

Fox News Poll: GOP Race Top Tier Now Romney, Perry and Cain

Three September debates have shaken-up the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Herman Cain has jumped into the top tier. Rick Perry’s stumbled. Mitt Romney's holding steady. ✧ And Michele Bachmann is hitting bottom. That’s according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday. ✧ The new poll found Cain’s support has nearly tripled among GOP primary voters to 17 percent. Read more at Fox News...

Romney - 23%, Perry - 19%, Cain - 17% Read More......

Herman Cain Wins Florida GOP Straw Poll

9/24/2011 - Businessman Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll Saturday, beating Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the GOP presidential front-runner who just two days earlier delivered a debate performance that was widely panned. ✧ Cain finished with 37 percent of the vote, while Perry trailed with 15 percent. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney followed with 14 percent while former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum drew 11 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul finished with 10.5 percent, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman finished with 2 percent. ✧ U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, who won the Iowa straw poll in August, finished with just 1 percent of the vote.

"Thank you to the Republican voters for this incredible honor of being named the winner of the Presidency 5 straw poll in Florida today," Cain said in a statement after the results were in.

Read more at Fox News...

Make sure to tune in to Fox News' Fox and Friends tomorrow morning to see Herman's live interview at 6:10 a.m. PT. It will be a great interview where Herman will discuss his huge victory in the Presidency 5 Straw Poll in Florida. Read More......

Bachmann Wins Iowa Straw Poll

8/13/2011 - Rep. Michele Bachmann wins the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll with 28.55 percent of the vote, with Rep. Ron Paul following in second place with 27.65 percent and former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty finishing third with 13.57 percent. Read more at Fox News...

See the 10 finishers in Iowa's straw poll:

1. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (4823, 28.55%)

2. Congressman Ron Paul (4671, 27.65%)

3. Governor Tim Pawlenty (2293, 13.57%)

4. Senator Rick Santorum (1657, 9.81%)

5. Herman Cain (1456, 8.62%)

6. Governor Rick Perry (718, 3.62%) write-in

7. Governor Mitt Romney (567, 3.36%)

8. Speaker Newt Gingrich (385, 2.28%)

9. Governor Jon Huntsman (69, 0.41%)

10. Congressman Thad McCotter (35, 0.21%) Read More......

Rob Cornilles announces candidacy for US Congress

OREGON CATALYST, 8/4/2011 by NW Spotlight - Rob Cornilles has announced his candidacy for US Congress in the upcoming special election to fill David Wu’s seat in Oregon’s First Congressional District.

Gov. Kitzhaber has indicated that a special primary election would be held Nov 8, with the special general election on Jan 31, 2012.

The press conference to kick off his campaign was made at Washington County-based Bioject Medical Technologies, Inc because Cornilles believes Bioject is exactly the type of innovative, high-tech small business that Oregon’s First District needs more of in order to bring good jobs back to the area. Cornilles said these companies and their current and prospective future employees need a strong advocate in Washington, DC.

Cornilles is a small business owner who is running for Congress because he sees too many of his fellow Oregonians are unemployed or underemployed in this stagnant economy. He said he is frustrated that such a vibrant and diverse area as the 1st Congressional District has been largely forgotten and poorly represented in Congress for far too long, leading to what he terms “a forgotten decade for Oregon’s 1st District.”

Cornilles said it is time for a strong advocate in Washington, DC for northwest Oregon; a true representative fighting for jobs and championing Oregon, not a staid politician or a rigid ideologue.

During the announcement, Cornilles also released a team of local elected officials and business and community leaders who are supporting his candidacy:


Former Governor Vic Atiyeh
State Senator Bruce Starr
Former Washington County Commission Chair Tom Brian
Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon
Washington County Commissioner Bob Terry
State Representative Shawn Lindsay
Former US Senator Bob Packwood
Former State Representative Scott Bruun
Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden
Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey
Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Dudley
US Senate Candidate Jim Huffman


Phil Knight
Tim Boyle
Judy Willey
Rob Miller
Dan Harmon
Mark Ganz
Joan and Ken Austin
Andrew Miller
Jim Mark
Margie Hunt
Pat Reiten

Background: Cornilles is a prominent business advisor and job-creator, having founded Game Face, Inc in 1995. He and Allison, his wife of 25 years, are the parents of three sons, ages 21, 18, and 14. Rob is an active participant in his community by serving on the boards of: Special Olympics Oregon, Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation, Umpqua Bank, Oregon International Air Show, Oregon League of Minority Voters, and Japan America Society of Oregon. Both Rob and Allison are native Oregonians, having been born in Portland and raised in Washington and Yamhill Counties in the 1st Congressional District.

Cornilles was the 2010 Republican nominee for Oregon’s First Congressional District.

Read More......

2010: Congratulations to our legislators!

2010 Election Results
Senator Frank Morse (Dist. 8) will be returning to the Oregon Senate after winning a particularly grueling race filled with relentless smears leveled by his opponent. It was heartening to see local Democrats express their disgust over the trashing of Sen. Morse.

Representatives Andy Olson (Dist. 15) and Jim Thompson (Dist. 23) will continue serving us admirably in the Oregon House. A hearty congratulations to all three!

Republicans pick off Democratic seats in Oregon Legislature Read More......

2010 Election Results

Benton County election results
Oregon's statewide election results

Miscellaneous:

• The (unofficial) voter turnout for Benton County was 74.20% with 49,098 eligible voters and 36,438 ballots accepted.
  
• Of 14,063 eligible Republican voters in Benton County 11,247 voted for an 80% turnout.
  
• Of 22,347 eligible Democrat voters in Benton County, 17,854 voted for an 80% turnout.
  
• Of 664,611 eligible Republican voters in Oregon, 526,398 voted for a 79% turnout.
  
• Of 864,464 eligible Democrat voters in Oregon, 644,128 voted for a 75% turnout.
  
• All other parties had a much lower turnouts in Benton County and statewide.
  
• Campaign signs must be removed 15 days after election (Nov. 17).

Interesting national voter turnout charts... From Facebook Data Team

The darker the state, the greater the turnout. Congratulations Oregon!

Voter turnout by Party

Voter turnout by Age & Party

Read More......