Jensen’s HD25 campaign starts negative, stays negative

Barbara Jensen

by NW Spotlight

Political newcomer Barbara Jensen hit the road running with negative campaigning, and has not let up yet. Jensen is running in the Republican primary in Oregon House District 25 against conservative radio talk show host Bill Post. Current HD25 state Rep. Kim Thatcher (R) is running for the Oregon Senate to replace retiring Sen. Larry George (R). House District 25 covers Keizer, St. Paul and Newberg.

Jensen, described by the Statesman Journal as a “longtime state government employee,” entered the race in early February – several months after Bill Post announced his candidacy. Her entry into the race was followed quickly by a push poll (a widely discredited and sleazy political tactic) against Bill Post.

The push poll has been followed by a near non-stop series of complaints from the Jensen campaign, in an apparent effort to smear her opponent. One of the more recent complaints filed with the Oregon Secretary of State was over coffee mugs given out at a campaign event. An Associate Dean at Willamette University Law School who specializes in election law told the Statesman Journal that the coffee mug complaint “sounded a bit silly to him.” The Associate Dean also told the Statesman Journal “An increasing number of these complaints smell of an opponent trying to gain a tactical political advantage by trying to smear or tar and feather their opponent with political laws.”

Jensen was recruited by state Rep. Julie Parrish, who was recently ousted from leadership. Parrish, who was told in a 2010 interview with Willamette Week that she didn’t sound “terribly like a Republican,” is pro-choice and recently came out in support of same-sex marriage. Parrish has also provided financial support to Jensen’s campaign.

Bill Post is endorsed by Rep. Kim Thatcher (R), Oregon Right To Life PAC, Oregon Family Council PAC, the Taxpayer’s Association of Oregon PAC, state Rep. Kevin Cameron (R) and other prominent Oregon conservatives.