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“Mike Erickson is out-of-touch with the people of Oregon and his extremist agenda shows it. Meanwhile, Andrea Salinas has proven herself to be a tireless advocate for Oregon families – leading the fight to lower prescription drug prices, defend a woman’s right to choose, and invest in clean energy. Oregon’s sixth congressional district is a prime pick up opportunity for Democrats, and Republicans are throwing in the towel with anti-choice and anti-climate candidate Mike Erickson,” said DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Johanna Warshaw, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: May 20, 2022
Subject: The Case Against Mike Erickson
Oregon’s new Sixth Congressional District presents a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats this November. Cook Political Report currently rates the district “Likely Democratic,” and President Biden would have won the seat by a staggering 13 points in 2020. With a district that includes the young and fast growing suburbs of Portland, Mike Erickson and his out-of-touch agenda won’t stand a chance this November.
On issue after issue, Erickson is on the wrong side of Oregon voters. Following in the footsteps of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, Erickson has decried election fraud – the same dangerous lie that fueled the deadly January 6 insurrection and sowed extreme distrust in our nation’s elections. And as the fate of Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance, Erickson has previously campaigned on a “strict anti-abortion platform” and supports rolling back women’s reproductive freedoms. Erickson has also criticized President Biden’s climate agenda, which would tackle our climate crisis while creating good paying jobs across the country, proving that he can’t be trusted to protect the health and safety of Oregon families amid record wildfire seasons in the state.
It’s a record that stands in stark contrast to Andrea Salinas, a proven advocate for Oregon families. In the Oregon State House, Andrea has passed legislation to lower prescription drug prices, defend a woman’s right to choose, and invest in clean energy. Most notably, Andrea was a leader in the efforts to pass one of the country’s most progressive and comprehensive reproductive rights laws, Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act, to ensure more accessible, affordable quality health care for all.
Combine Erickson’s extreme agenda, the district’s electorate, and a proven leader like Andrea Salinas on the ballot, and you have a recipe for Democrats’ success in OR-06 this cycle.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
OPB: “According to the state elections data, Democrats have a slight edge over Republicans in terms of voter registration within the new district, with approximately 26,000 more Democrats.” [Oregon Public Broadcasting, 5/4/2022]
Oregonian: “In her five years representing House District 38-Lake Oswego, Salinas, 52, has shown herself to be effective in advancing Democratic priorities and negotiating wins. Having served as both chair and vice-chair of the House Health Care Committee in recent years, she has led legislative efforts to broaden the number of Oregonians eligible for coverage under the Oregon Health Plan and increase transparency into drug pricing.” [Oregon Live, 4/18/22]
NBC: “The congressional PODER PAC backs Salinas for her commitment to reproductive rights.” [NBC, 2/4/22]
State of Reform: Andrea Salinas discusses her health care priorities with experienced, national leaders in the field [State of Reform, 1/4/22]
MIKE ERICKSON’S EXTREMIST AGENDA WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR OREGON FAMILIES
Mike Erickson’s anti-choice, anti-climate, and pro-election conspiracy theory agenda would be a disaster for Oregon families. Despite 80 percent of Americans and a majority of Oregonians supporting access to safe and legal abortion, Mike Erickson proves to be a threat to women’s reproductive freedoms. He has previously campaigned on a “strict anti-abortion platform” and supports rolling back women’s reproductive freedoms. With the Supreme Court set to overturn Roe v. Wade and pave the way for Republicans to pass a nationwide ban on abortion, Oregonians cannot afford to elect anti-choice Erickson.
Following in the footsteps of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, Erickson has decried election fraud, despite security officials reporting that the 2020 election was the most secure in American history. It’s the same dangerous lie that fueled the deadly January 6 insurrection, which resulted in the death of 5 people, injured 140 law enforcement officers, and sowed extreme distrust in our nation’s elections.
Oregon has faced record wildfire seasons in the past few years that have devastated the state – but that hasn’t stopped Erickson from opposing common sense measures to tackle our climate crisis. Erickson criticized President Biden’s climate agenda, including his work to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, that will address our climate crisis by investing in clean energy while creating millions of good paying jobs here in the United States. Oregonians deserve leaders who will stand up to the existential threat of climate change that is jeopardizing the health and safety of communities across the state – and Erickson has proven that he can’t be trusted to lead on this critical issue.
The Opportunity in Andrea Salinas
The daughter of a Mexican immigrant, Andrea has known the value of hard work and perseverance her entire life. As a young adult, Andrea’s parents couldn’t afford to send her to college so she juggled multiple jobs to pay her way, everything from painting homes to pouring coffee. Andrea is running for Congress because her own daughter – and every Oregonian – deserves a leader who will work tirelessly day in and day out to make their lives better.
In Salem, Andrea made a name for herself fighting to raise the minimum wage and securing the nation’s most progressive paid family leave bill. She introduced and passed a bill that held Big Pharma accountable to consumers and led the fight to lower prescription drug prices. She also championed efforts to protect Oregonians from harassment in the workplace, and has been a leader in the fight to reduce carbon pollution and invest in clean energy technologies to fight the climate crisis.
Andrea is a proven leader who is capable of finding common ground, working hard, and delivering on the issues that matter most to Oregon families.
PATH TO VICTORY
Rated “Likely Democratic” by Cook Political Report, the new OR-06 presents a prime pick up opportunity for Democrats this cycle. Democrats hold a 5.3-point advantage in terms of party registration, and President Biden won the OR-06 by a staggering 13 points in 2020 – receiving 54.8 percent of the vote to Trump’s 41.8 percent. The new district also includes the young and fast growing suburbs of Portland, which present a strong opportunity for Democratic turnout this November.
With Erickson’s dangerous agenda, the district’s electorate, and a proven leader like Andrea Salinas on the ballot, Democrats are well positioned to win OR-06 this November. |
