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State Senate 3
 Senator
Alan C Bates, D-Ashland
Interim email: info@alanbates.net
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/bates
District: Southern part of Jackson County,
including Ashland, Jacksonville, Talent, Phoenix, and most of the
city of Medford – its central and southern parts. This is the
most urban district outside the Willamette Valley, though not by
much. (Northwest Medford is in district 2 – Jason Atkinson's
district.)
Background: This would seem to be an unstable
situation. While Bate's old House district 5 easily (60.5%) went
to fellow Democrat Peter Buckley, the other half – District
4 – even more easily (71%) stayed in Republican hands.
This district accounts for about 2/3 of the votes
Jackson County casts. Jackson overall went 55% for Bush, but 60%
for Wyden – in total, a Republican lean but not a lot more
than that. Bates is a strong figure and probably stronger personally
than a generic Democrat might be.
Bottom line: Bates has filed for re-election,
and he will be tough to knock off. The district not such that it
likely will be giving any Democrat routine landslides any time soon,
but Bates seems strongly positioned for the near term.
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Randy Stapilus
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