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Posted on 11/06/2002 12:09:37 AM PST by Salvation
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11/06/2002
Updated: 11:50 p.m.
Democrat Ted Kulongoski whittled away at Republican Kevin Mannix’s electoral advantage before taking the lead on election night as the race for Oregon’s governor continued down its harrowing course.
With 65 percent of the ballots counted, Mannix and Kulongoski each had 48 percent of the votes. As Tuesday night slid into early Wednesday morning, about 525 votes separated the two competitors. The race will not be called until Wednesday.
Kulongoski captured 436,637 votes, a slight edge over Mannix's 434,112 votes.
Libertarian Tom Cox, who ran on a campaign promise to slash taxes by $1.5 billion and reduce government spending, was getting 4 percent of the vote.
Republican Kevin Mannix. (AP Photo) |
Appearing before his supporters, Mannix said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the initial ballot results.
“We’re not sure,” Mannix said. “I want to be careful about that as we watch the returns. I would rather be on this side of the equation right now than the other side.”
Kulongoski, meanwhile, appeared for the first time before his supporters in Portland. They sang “happy birthday” to him before he spoke.
With returns from Democrat friendly Multnomah and Lane counties still being counted, Kulongoski boldly predicted that victory would be at hand. In Multnomah County, about 57,000 ballots are yet to be counted.
Democrat Ted Kulongoski. (AP Photo) |
“Were going to do this,” Kulongoski said. “Just hang in there with us. Victory is on the way.”
Kulongoski’s supporters had called election offices around the state before he made his appearance. Kulongoski said he was confident the election returns were “turned in the right direction, we’re closing the gap.”
“We’re going to bring this home,” he said.
Kulongoski has picked up endorsements from Kitzhaber and former Democratic governors Neil Goldschmidt and Barbara Roberts while Mannix has picked up support from former Senator Mark Hatfield.
A KGW poll showed the race narrowing. Campaign contributions seemingly confirmed it.
Mannix had raised $3.3 million compared with $2.8 million, according to campaign contributions reports submitted to the state.
No matter who wins the Nov. 5 election, Oregon’s next governor will inherit a state budget in crisis, an anemic economy, and grim questions about funding for schools and public safety when he takes office in January 2003.
Kulongoski opened himself up for criticism by endorsing a $313 million income tax increase that's aimed at averting cuts to schools and programs.
Mannix, a socially conservative Salem lawyer who's made two unsuccessful bids for attorney general, said Kulongoski's backing of the income tax hike shows he's a tax-and-spender.
Kulongoski began aggressively fighting back in the campaign's final weeks by pointing out that Mannix voted for various tax hikes as a legislator.
Kulongoski also has hammered on the theme that Mannix's anti-abortion stance was "too extreme" for Oregon, a state that's considered an abortion rights stronghold.
Mannix countered that abortion "isn't an issue" in the governor's race and that the U.S. Supreme Court settled the issue years ago in its Roe vs. Wade ruling keeping abortion legal.
Hailing from Missouri, Kulongoski, who turned 62 on Tuesday, was raised by nuns in a St. Louis orphanage. He joined the Marines after graduating from high school and was stationed in Thailand for three years.
Kulongoski graduated from the University of Missouri law school and headed west for Oregon.
He began his career in politics as a state House staffer in 1973. He won election to a state House seat the next year, and later moved to the Senate. He unsuccessfully challenged Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood in 1980.
Mannix, 52, was born in Queens, N.Y. When Mannix was 5, his family moved to South America, where his father was posted as a U.S. diplomat. Mannix lived in various Latin American countries up to age 14.
Mannix graduated from the University of Virginia and later returned there to get his law degree. He moved to Oregon in 1974.
He served five terms in the Oregon House, first as a Democrat, then as a Republican. Mannix switched parties after losing a 1996 primary election race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general against Hardy Myers.
(The AP contributed to this report.)
GO MANNIX GO!!!
| LAST UPDATE |
Nov-06-2002 12:12 AM Pacific Standard Time |
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Governor |
| Oregon | |
| Percent of the Vote Counted: | 67% |
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| Winner | Candidate | Incumbent | Votes | Vote % |
| Ted Kulongoski D | 444,742 | 48% | ||
| Kevin Mannix R | 444,545 | 48% | ||
| Tom Cox L | 42,734 | 4% |
Aaaargh.
You're right, sadly...
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