Candidate Allen Alley showcases governor poll

Press Release by Allen Alley for Governor

Who are you more likely to support, Chris Dudley or Allen Alley?

Allen Alley — 46
Chris Dudley — 20
Undecided — 34

As 2009 draws to a close, we are looking forward to a spirited debate about the direction of our great state next year. Over 100,000 Oregonians have lost their job over the last year, and we face an unemployment rate well above the national average. The lack of economic growth and unemployment is causing severe strains on families in every corner of the state. Growing the economy and putting people back to work is what this election is about. That’s why Allen, the only person running for Governor who has created jobs, is the right candidate at the right time.

Polling data: One of the Dudley campaign’s talking points is that he has high name awareness and, therefore, is far ahead of the rest of the field. Recent polling shows this to be overstated.
According to Moore Information*, Chris Dudley’s statewide hard name identification is 18%. So, over 8 in 10 Oregon voters say they have no opinion of him or have never heard of him. Chris Dudley does not have a name identification edge over Allen.

Allen’s background as a job creator is needed right now. Oregon primary voters understand that we need somebody who has strong real world experience but also knows his way around the Capitol.

Given that voters need more information about both candidates, when their relative backgrounds are described Republican primary voters express a clear preference for Alley:

I’m going to describe the qualifications of two people running for Governor:

Chris Dudley spent 16 years playing professional basketball, started a charitable foundation and is an investment advisor.

Allen Alley spent 30 years starting and running high technology companies, ran for state treasurer and served as a senior official in the governor’s office.

Who are you more likely to support, Chris Dudley or Allen Alley?

Allen Alley 46
Chris Dudley 20
Undecided 34

Voters understand that Oregon faces both systemic unemployment and underemployment as well as structural fiscal problems that will challenge our ability to generate economic growth. They want somebody who understands these issues, has the background to fix them, and is prepared to lead.

Past Performance

Among his Republican counterparts in the primary, Allen has the most impressive track record as a statewide candidate. In 2008, Allen’s first run for office, he outperformed the McCain ticket by 10 percentage points, won 9 of 11 newspaper endorsements, and garnered more Republican votes in Multnomah County than any other candidate in the history of Oregon. Despite his narrow loss, The Oregonian selected Allen as one of the “winners” of the 2008 election cycle for his strong run. If Allen can perform at that level in the worst political climate for Republicans, he is well positioned to win statewide next year.

Conclusion

This race is going to come down to creating jobs in Oregon and who has the experience and track record to deliver on that promise. Given his background as a job creator, understanding of the problems plaguing this state, and his electability, Allen is well positioned to deliver a Republican victory in November 2010.