Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Tiernan, Who Has Loaned His Own Campaign $500,000, Failed to Pay $8,700 in Property Taxes Last Year

Tiernan says it was an oversight, and came after he paid off his mortgage.

Bob Tiernan. Jordan Hundelt, All Rights Reserved (Jordan Hundelt)
By Rachel Monahan

Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Tiernan loaned himself $500,000 when he entered the race in February. He also failed to pay $8,700 in property taxes last year on an investment property in Lake Oswego, Clackamas County property tax records show.

Failing to pay taxes is a political blemish for anyone running for office, but particularly for candidates running on their business acumen. Tiernan, who was once president of Grocery Outlet and a board member for PayLess Drugs, doesn’t lack for financial resources.

Tiernan says it was an oversight. “That’s news to me,” Tiernan told WW on April 21. “I have not received a notice from Clackamas County. I’ll get on it tomorrow.”

The problem, Tiernan says, may have resulted from the fact he paid off the mortgage last year and, for the past two decades, the taxes were taken care of as part of his mortgage payments.

Read more about Tiernan and the other GOP candidates here.

Update: Tiernan provided a record showing he had paid the $5,900 that was past due on Friday, Feb. 22, after he was alerted to the debt by WW.


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