SALEM — A political action committee with ties to Oregon’s richest resident, the nation’s largest landowner, and a recently retired congressman is fueling a surge in money going to Republicans running for the legislature.

Bring Balance to Salem PAC has raised over $3.31 million since it was created in November 2021. The group’s goal is to reduce Democratic influence in state politics.

Its latest splash: $240,000 given Monday, Sept. 19, to Evergreen Oregon PAC, the campaign arm of House Republicans. 

The 2022 election officially comes to an end on Nov. 8. But with Oregon’s vote-by-mail system, ballots going to in-state voters will be mailed starting Oct. 19 — less than a month away.

Competition for campaign dollars

More than half of Oregon’s 30 Senate seats will be on the ballot, where Democrats currently hold 18 spots.

All 60 House seats are on the ballot. During the most recent session, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, commanded a wide 37-23 margin over Republicans, led by House Minority Leader Christine Drazana, R-Canby.

Kotek and Drazan resigned from the House and are now their party’s 2022 nominees for governor.

Former Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose has qualified for the governor’s race as a candidate without party affiliation.

The extraordinary three-way governors’ race, along with three open congressional seats, has enlarged the already voracious demand for campaign dollars. That’s been a tough test for fundraising in legislative races.

Bring Balance to Salem PAC was quietly created last November. Until May, it almost exclusively took in contributions.

Nike founder Phil Knight, the richest Oregonian, gave $1 million. Timber and construction groups gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in large chunks to the PAC.

Red Emmerson, the nation’s largest private landholder, contributed $250,000 from his Redding, Calif.-based timberlands and forest products company, Sierra Pacific Industries.

Just about the only spending was $5,000 per month to Walden Consulting, a firm run by former U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, and his wife, Mylene Simons-Walden.

The PAC’s treasurer is the ex-congressman’s sister-in-law, Marta Simmons.

Raise money early, spend it late

Close to the May 17 primary, the Bring Balance to Salem PAC began to stir into action.

Until May, the PAC’s official address listed with the Secretary of State was 25 NW 23rd Place in Portland – letter drop at a store of the PostalAnnex+ retail business products chain. In May, the address was changed to a building in a light industrial area on Dike Road in Scappoose, Columbia County.

After the primaries set the line-up of Republican nominees, the PAC has actively spent on political races. It has reported giving $364,111 to candidates and has over $2.9 million in the bank. 

It may have already spent much more.

The money to Everygreen Oregon PAC is not in that total – a quirk of Oregon’s pliable campaign finance reporting laws.

Bring Balance to Salem PAC is using the full 30 days allowed by the state to report campaign fund transactions.

But the money going in and out can be voluntarily reported by those receiving the funds earlier, if they wish.

Bring Balance to Salem PAC hasn’t reported giving the money – its last activity shown on the state campaign finance website is from mid-August.

However, Evergreen Oregon PAC reported on the same state website as receiving the $240,000 on Monday.

“Salem” PAC stays away from top of the ballot

The Salem PAC’s idea of bringing balance to the state capital has, so far, meant money for Republicans.

It’s sidestepped any disagreements with some of its biggest donors by not weighing in — so far — on the governor’s race. Knight and Emmerson are among donors who who support Johnson’s unaffiliated bid over Drazan, the GOP nominee.

Knight has contributed $1.75 million to Johnson, while Emmerson has given $200,000.

As of Sept. 20, Bring Balance to Salem PAC has stayed out of the race at the top of the ballot. Instead, it’s focused on Republican PACs and candidates involved in legislative races. 

Evergreen Oregon PAC, the campaign arm of House Republicans, has received a total of $290,000 as of Sept. 20. 

The Leadership Fund, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, received $50,000 in July. No additional contribution was reported as of Sept. 20.

The personal campaign funds of Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville, each received $25,000. Evergreen Oregon PAC is handled by Bryan Iverson, the Prineville consultant married to the House GOP leader.

The new $240,000 contribution to Evergreen Oregon PAC this week was a timely transfusion for the Republicans’ legislative efforts in the dwindling days of the campaign. Adding the new money, the House GOP has raised $1.06 million and spent $360,145. It has $769,990 in the bank. 

There’s no Democratic equivalent to Bring Balance to Salem PAC. Democrats have caucus-allied PACs in both the Senate and House.

The Democrats’ own PAC has fewer dollars and as the majority, more candidates to help.

The Senate Democratic Leadership Fund has raised $703,019 and spent $383,051. It has $464,500 in the bank.

Future PAC House Builders, the political arm of House Democrats, has raised $1.5 million and spent $500,000 in 2022. With money rolled over from last year, it has a total of $1.01 million in the bank to spend. 

PAC funds GOP defense of key seat

The statewide funding challenge is showing up in some key races Democrats have targeted for November 2022.

Democrats flipped House District 54 in 2020, with now Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, ousting Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend. Republicans held the seat for a decade despite an ever-growing Democratic voter edge.

Legislative and congressional districts have to be redrawn every 10 years to rebalance population and demographic shifts. The 2020 U.S. Census showed especially rapid growth in Bend and surrounding Deschutes County.

Redistricting for the 2022 election led to a major realignment of districts in and around Bend. Much of the new population votes Democratic compared to earlier times.

Democrats in the legislature drew boundaries that maintained a now prohibitively strong Democratic voter edge in House District 54 centered in Bend.

As recently as 2016, the parties spent about $2 million on the race for what was then a hyper-competitive seat.

Now running for a second term, Kropf has raised just $41,965 in 2022. The relatively meager fundraising by both candidates shows the GOP isn’t pushing hard to recover the seat. Redistricting gives it a prohibitive Democratic majority in 2022.

House District 64 Republican Judy Trego reports $33,695 in total contributions. As of Tuesday, her campaign finance reports show no money coming from either Evergreen Oregon PAC or Bring Balance to Salem PAC.

Kropf is sending his own funds elsewhere. He has used leftover money from his 2020 campaign to give $31,000 to Future PAC House Builders for other races around the state.

One of the most competitive races is now next door in House District 53. Redistricting consolidated the seat to an area of northern Deschutes County that includes parts of Bend and Redmond. It’s now considered to have a single-digit Democratic voter lean.

Incumbent Rep. Jack Zika, R-Redmond, who criticized the Democratic-drawn 2022 maps, opted not to seek re-election.

Following redistricting and with Zika’s departure promising an open seat, Democrats said flipping House District 53 was a target to flip as part of a strategy to maintain or even expand their 14-seat House majority.

But with less than a month before ballots go out to voters, the fundraising difference between the two House District 53 candidates has grown larger by the week — in Republicans’ favor.

Emerson Levy, the Democrat, has raised just under $54,000 in 2022. The Bend attorney has received $8,750 from Future PAC House Leaders — less than a third of the money Kropf gave to the party’s efforts.

Republican Michael Sipe has over raised $292,000. Other than a $50,000 loan from the company he owns, Cross Pointe, his largest single contribution has been $17,000 from Evergreen Oregon PAC – the House Republicans’ PAC. He’s also received $5,000 directly from Bring Balance to Salem PAC.

Sipe supporters heckled Levy during a Bend Chamber of Commerce candidate forum on Sept. 14, with media reports spreading beyond Bend to statewide and national media reports.

The outrage hasn’t translated into a wave of new money so far.

Progressive Democrats say having the most money doesn’t always translate to victory. U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, who had five times the funds of insurgent primary challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Terrebonne. But McLeod-Skinner comfortably beat Schrader, winning by a large margin in Deschutes County. She now faces Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Happy Valley on Nov. 8.

Andrew Rogers, communications director for Future PAC House Builders declined to discuss specifics of the Democratic fundraising efforts for Levy.

But Rogers pointed to the new Democratic-friendly lean of House District 53 as an omen of change.

“I will say that that seat is almost a 3% Democratic edge and will be held by a Democrat sooner rather than later,” he said.