The campaign for the Republican presidential nomination has turned into a race to stop Donald Trump.
That means Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is giving away votes in Oregon.
In a deal announced Sunday night, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have agreed to divvy up several remaining primary states, in order to block Trump from winning the nomination outright before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
As The New York Times explains, "The agreement is straightforward: Mr. Kasich won't compete in Indiana; Mr. Cruz won't compete in New Mexico and Oregon."
The crux of the deal is letting Cruz gather more votes in Indiana, where the winner takes all the delegates. The gift of Oregon's May 17 primary is a small concession for Cruz, because the state awards its delegates proportionally.
But just because Cruz is giving away Oregon is no guarantee Kasich can win it.
A glance at the Voters' Pamphlet, mailed to homes across the state last week, shows that only two Republican presidential candidates bothered to submit a statement: Cruz and Trump.
Kasich is nowhere to be found.
The Oregon Secretary of State's Office has confirmed to WW that Kasich did qualify for the Oregon ballot. And he is listed in the pamphlet among the eligible candidates.
But Kasich's campaign did not submit a statement offering his biography or platform—a massive oversight.
Willamette Week