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HOW MUCH?
$25,000
WHO GOT IT?
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, Democratic candidate for governor
WHO GAVE IT?
The Papé Group, a Eugene-based heavy equipment manufacturer
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
If a donation is like a bet on who will win the governorship, this is a hedge on Papé's other, larger bet ($250,000) that independent candidate Betsy Johnson can win.
Another way to look at it: The company has funded a wide variety of opponents to the labor-backed, more left-leaning former House Speaker Tina Kotek, presumably to support every other candidate to ensure she doesn’t get elected. The Papé Group has also given $25,000 to two Republican candidates: former Rep. Christine Drazan and businesswoman Jessica Gomez.
Read is grateful anyway. “The Papé Group have chosen to support Tobias because they share his frustrations about how things are going in Oregon and see him as the only Democrat with a sense of urgency about solving these problems,” says campaign spokeswoman Jessica LaVigne.
WHAT DOES PAPÉ SAY?
The company’s executives say they are focused on the long-term future of the state. “We are excited to help candidates that believe in building an Oregon where our children can flourish and find exciting careers here at home,” says CEO Jordan Papé. “While each candidate offers a unique plan for Oregon’s future, we have focused our contributions on campaigns that share a vision for an Oregon that is safe, prosperous, and focused on helping the next generation of Oregonians excel on the global stage.”