SALEM, Ore.-Growers lost four "good legislators on agricultural issues" in a Nov. 6 general election that saw Democrats gain control of the Oregon House and retain their 16-14 advantage in the Senate.
Katie Fast, government affairs director for the Oregon Farm Bureau, said the state's largest farm organization "was disappointed to lose some key incumbents that were good legislators on agricultural issues."
Democrats gained four seats in the House, going from a 30-30 split in 2011 and 2012 to a 34-26 advantage, as four first-term Republican incumbents lost.
"I think there was an expectation that the Republicans weren't going to hold all their (freshmen) incumbents," Fast said. "But I did not see all four losing."
Jeff Stone, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, also said he was surprised.
"The freshmen Republicans did pretty well by us," Stone said. "But the voters ultimately get to decide who represents them, not the nursery industry."
SOURCE: Mitch Lies, Capital Press
http://www.capitalpress.com/newsletter/ml-oregon-election-110712