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ISSUE #34.49 • SPECIAL SECTION •

House District 38


Republican


BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF | 503-243-2122

[October 15th, 2008]

Steve Griffith

Maybe the Legislature could raise money for the state simply by auctioning this seat to high-powered Portland law firms. Until he surrendered his seat to run for attorney general, Greg Macpherson, a senior partner at Stoel Rives (the state’s largest law firm), represented this district for six years.

Now Democrat Chris Garrett, a lawyer at another large firm (Perkins Coie), is running against Republican Steve Griffith—a former partner of Macpherson’s. Both Garrett and Griffith are strong candidates with relevant experience.

Griffith put in two terms on the Portland School Board, and Garrett served as an aide to Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem). Griffith, 62, retired from Stoel Rives last year and says he is dedicating his golden years to public service. Garrett is a fine candidate, too, but the House Dems already boast a deep bench of lawmakers with similar profiles.

Griffith, on the other hand, is exceptional. A graduate of Harvard, Stanford and Oxford, the moderate (read “pro-choice”) Republican has credentials rarely seen in the Capitol and brings 30 years of legal and public-service experience. The length and depth of that experience—particularly eight years on the board of the state’s largest school district—makes him a better choice than Garrett, 32.

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Video of WW endorsement interview (thanks to Portland Community Media)



Comment on House District 38: Steve Griffith   Comment RSS feed

Amos  writes on Oct 15th, 2008 10:45am

GOOD CHOICE!!! GO GRIFFITH!

Zoe Walmer  writes on Oct 15th, 2008 9:21pm

I am incredibly excited to be supporting Chris for this seat. He has grown up in our district and has the experience and tenacity to fight for our needs. While I'm always interested to see who WW endorses, it's more important to me that NARAL Pro-Choice, AFSCME, the OEA and every major environmental organization in the state have endorsed Chris.

Todd  writes on Oct 16th, 2008 9:57am

For the record, Steve Griffith was also endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice in what they call a Dual Endorsement.

Kevin  writes on Oct 16th, 2008 6:18pm

WW, were you rushing to meet a deadline on this endorsement? Your crackpot research on Chris Garrett is totally wrong. He wasn't an "aide" to Senator Courtney, he was Senior Policy Advisor. And he was the Legislative Aide to Senator Richard Devlin, which you omitted entirely. Not to mention you botched his age; he's 34, not 32. Just how much thought and research did you put into this decision? What visions and policies has Griffith put forth that makes you feel he is the best choice? His "proposal", like your endorsement, is short and without detail. I get the picture that Griffith is in this more for his own political posturing than actually trying to improve the district. Chris Garrett on the other hand has provided proven leadership... not just in pipeline promises, but in actual legislation that has improved the lives of those in the district. I think you ought to understand the facts surrounding the candidates before purporting to have an authoritative stance on the candidates. It makes me question your other endorsements, if this is as thorough as you get.

Comment on the "House District 38" article
President
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
U.S. Senate
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
1st Congressional District
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
3rd Congressional District
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
5th Congressional District
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Treasurer
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Republican
Secretary Of State
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Attorney General
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Measure 54: Voter Eligibility
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Measure 55: Redistricting
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Measure 56: Double Majority
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Measure 57 and 61:
Minimum Sentences

WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes On 57
Vote: No On 61
Measure 58: English Instruction
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
Measure 26-94: Children’s Services
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Bond Measure 26-95: Portland Community College
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Bond Measure 26-96: Oregon Zoo
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
Bond Measure 26-97: Centennial School District
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
House District 42
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 45
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 49
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Republican
House District 50
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 51
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 52
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 37
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Republican
House District 38
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Republican
House District 39
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 41
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 33
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 34
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 35
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 36
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 26
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 27
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 29
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
House District 30
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Senate District 14
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Senate District 18
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Senate District 25
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Democrat
Commissioner, District 4
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Nonpartisan
Commissioner, District 3
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Nonpartisan
Sheriff
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Nonpartisan
City Council
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Nonpartisan
Measure 65: Open Primaries
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: Yes
Measure 59: State Taxes
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
Measure 60: Merit Pay for Teachers
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote:No
Measure 62: Lottery Proceeds
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
Measure 63: Building Permits
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
Measure 64: Payroll Deductions
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Vote: No
WW 2008 Endorsement Interview Awards
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | After six weeks of interviews, we’d like to honor some of our favorite moments.
Five Things That Made Us Go “Huh”
WW EDITORIAL STAFF
More Resources for Voting
WW EDITORIAL STAFF | Don't just take our word for it. Here are more voting guides and resources for you to make your choice.
 

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