“Oregonians have already rejected Mike Erickson’s desperate bids for Congress three times – and they’ll do it again this November. Voters in the 6th Congressional District know exactly who Erickson is: a MAGA extremist who will say and do anything to buy his way into power – even deny Oregon women’s right to choose. In contrast, Andrea Salinas is a dedicated public servant and problem solver who has led the fight in Congress to expand access to mental health care, prioritize funding to combat the fentanyl crisis, and bring tens of millions of dollars in resources back home for Oregonians,”
said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
—
To: Interested Parties
From: Dan Gottlieb
Date: May 21, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Mike Erickson
After three failed attempts to buy a seat in Congress to enact his far-right agenda, MAGA extremist Mike Erickson will once again struggle to make a compelling case to voters, especially against Congresswoman Andrea Salinas’ bipartisan track record of delivering results for working families in Oregon’s 6th Congressional District.
Previously a state representative whose legislative district overlapped with OR-06, Andrea is a proven fighter for Oregon. Since entering office, she’s fought to expand access to health care, protect a woman’s right to choose, support law enforcement, seek solutions to the fentanyl crisis, and build coalitions across party lines to bring millions of dollars in investments home.
Congresswoman Salinas hasn’t stopped there – leading the fight in Congress to expand Oregon’s access to mental health services, especially for first responders and underserved rural communities, encourage federal resources to make housing more affordable for Oregonians, secure more funding for Oregon’s agricultural industry, and bring huge investments back home for infrastructure improvements, public safety projects, and high-speed internet across the state. At each turn, Andrea has proven herself to be the trusted advocate and common-sense legislator that families in Oregon’s 6th Congressional District deserve.
Meanwhile, Mike Erickson is a Trump-supporting MAGA Republican and shady businessman who will have to explain to this Biden +13 district why he opposes Oregon women’s right to abortion access, undermines trust in our elections, and believes health care for Oregon families should be dismantled.
A DANGEROUS HYPOCRITE FOR OREGON WOMEN
Mike Erickson is vehemently anti-choice and wants to ban women’s access to reproductive care without exception – including in cases of rape and incest.
No matter how he tries to deceive voters, Erickson’s actions speak louder than his words. He campaigned on banning access to abortion – despite him allegedly paying for his former girlfriend to have an abortion – and when asked point-blank about Oregon’s protections for the right to choose, Erickson said “I don’t agree with that.” He’d carry that same dangerous agenda to Congress.
By contrast, Andrea Salinas has voted to protect women’s reproductive freedoms at every turn and stood up to MAGA politicians like Erickson in Congress.
AN ANTI-DEMOCRACY MAGA ENABLER
If Erickson’s allegiances weren’t already evident, his enthusiastic support for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and his undermining of trust in our elections make his priorities crystal clear. Erickson prominently featured language about voter fraud during his failed 2022 campaign ― until he won his primary and scrubbed all of it from his website. We can’t afford to have dangerous liars like him in Congress.
To make matters worse, last cycle was far from Erickson’s first attempt at fooling voters into supporting him. This is Erickson’s sixth run for public office – and his fourth run for Congress. Each time, Oregonians have rejected him and his dangerous views. They’ll do it again in 2024.
ERICKSON’S INTERESTS ABOVE YOURS
Mike Erickson’s previous failed runs for office showed Oregonians who he really is – a self-serving MAGA enabler who would proudly vote against investments in Oregon families just as long as he personally benefits.
During his last campaign, he was backed by Republicans who wanted to gut the Affordable Care Act – which provides health care for 145,509 Oregonians – and Erickson even opposed a measure that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for Oregon seniors. In yet another move proving just how out of touch he is with Oregonians’ needs, Erickson came out against legislation that made significant investments in mental health and substance abuse care – even as Oregon families struggle on both fronts. OR-06 residents can’t trust someone as cruel as Erickson to represent them.
Yet after continually criticizing government spending to benefit Oregon families who need it most, Erickson accepted $154,000 in government handouts – despite a personal net worth of well over $100 million.
Unlike far-right hypocrites like Erickson, Andrea has spent her career fighting for the care Oregon families deserve, protecting seniors from the far-right’s efforts to slash Social Security, and putting working people first in Congress.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
KOIN: “Oregon Rep. Salinas on the fight for abortion and mental health care.” [KOIN, 8/27/23]
“After winning a close race in November for Oregon’s new 6th congressional district, Representative Andrea Salinas has made the fight for health care access a priority. […] Salinas is working on a bill to address financial barriers to mental health care. The bill, which Salinas said she will introduce in September, will provide three no-cost care visits for people enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle: “Salinas seeks solutions to fentanyl overdose crisis in Oregon.” [Oregon Capital Chronicle, 1/5/24]
KATU: “City of Salem receives federal grant to expand community service officer program.” [KATU, 9/26/23]
“‘Police officers work tirelessly to keep our community safe. But they shouldn’t have to do it all, especially when it comes to calls that don’t involve life-or-death situations,’ said Rep. Salinas. ‘I’m glad to see this funding will go toward expanding the City of Salem’s community service officer program. Putting more trained CSOs on the ground will help reduce response wait times and ensure law enforcement is on the scene when they’re needed.’”
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Republican Mike Erickson seeks rematch with Salinas in Oregon’s 6th District. [Oregon Capital Chronicle, 1/31/24]
“This is Erickson’s fourth run for Congress. […] fellow Republicans refused to endorse [Erickson] and his campaign cratered after a Clackamas County woman alleged that Erickson, a fervent opponent of abortion, had gotten her pregnant and paid for her to have an abortion in 2000.”
Seattle Times: “Woman Details Abortion, Relationship With Pro-Life Congressional Candidate.” [Seattle Times, 6/24/08]
“A woman who dated congressional candidate Mike Erickson seven years ago said she asked him directly whether he wanted to have a baby. He shook his head no, she said, and paid for her abortion.”
PATH TO VICTORY
Erickson’s embarrassing streak of failed self-funded campaigns now reaches over the span of nearly two decades – and he’ll lose again in 2024.
In Oregon’s 6th Congressional District, Democratic registrants currently outpace Republican registrants by 25,000+ (5.3% points), and President Biden won this district by 13 points in 2020. Meanwhile, Rep. Salinas bested Erickson by over 7,000 votes last cycle – despite going up against a perennial self-funder, starting the open-seat general election having to build back up from a contested primary, and having millions of dollars levied against her.
