The Oregon legislature’s campaign finance reform bill will go into effect in 2027. Before then, Oregon will have two last election cycles with unlimited contributions.
This cycle, most of the leading candidates running for Lane County’s seats in the Oregon House of Representatives received six figures in donations to run their campaigns, as did both state senate candidates and the campaign against Lane County’s redistricting amendment .
Major contributors include the political action committees aiming to elect their parties to the state legislature (Bring Balance to Salem PAC, The Leadership Fund and Evergreen PAC for the Republicans; and Senate Democratic Leadership Fund, Future PAC House Builders and Oregonians are Ready for the Democrats) and the industry PACs representing Oregon Realtors and PNW PhRMA, which gave to legislative candidates from both parties.
Contributors gave both “cash” and non-monetary “in-kind” contributions. For example, the Bring Balance to Salem PAC gave Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, $5,800 worth of “research.”