D.C. Democrats freak out, putting Val Hoyle on most-vulnerable list
Extreme D.C. Democrats yesterday added Val Hoyle to their “Frontline” list of most-vulnerable incumbents, hoping no one would notice. The DCCC refused to explain why, but their freak-out follows Monique DeSpain’s primary victory last week and Hoyle’s year of scandals.
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NOTE: “Val Hoyle’s D.C. party bosses swooping in to prop up her campaign shows Oregonians see Hoyle for what she is: a corrupt, scandal-ridden politician who cares more about enriching herself than delivering results for them,” NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said.
DCCC identifies Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle as vulnerable incumbent
Oregon Capital Chronicle
Julia Shumway
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Wednesday moved Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle to its “frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, signaling to donors that the first-term representative from Eugene may need help to keep her seat.
Hoyle’s 4th Congressional District, based in Eugene and along the southern coast, is one of three Oregon swing districts that could prove crucial to determining which party controls the U.S. House. She won her 2022 election by 7 percentage points and President Joe Biden carried the district by nearly 13 points in 2020, but Republicans have targeted her as a weak candidate because of her prior connections to a troubled marijuana company that gave money to many Oregon Democrats’ campaigns and played a key role in the political downfall of former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.
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The DCCC quietly added Hoyle and California Rep. Josh Harder, who won his 2022 reelection bid by nearly 10 points, to its list on Wednesday. Hoyle acknowledged the news in a fundraising email, saying it meant the DCCC recognized her race as one of the most competitive in the country.
“This race is key to taking back the House majority,” her fundraising email said. “National Republicans are so desperate to unseat me and expand their narrow majority that they have launched attack after attack at my campaign and poured resources into opposition research.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee jumped on Hoyle’s frontline designation, saying it proved Oregon voters are ready to elect her Republican opponent, Air Force veteran Monique DeSpain.
“Val Hoyle’s D.C. party bosses swooping in to prop up her campaign shows Oregonians see Hoyle for what she is: a corrupt, scandal-ridden politician who cares more about enriching herself than delivering results for them,” NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said.
The nearly $1.3 million Hoyle has raised for her campaign lags Salinas ($2.6 million) and Chavez-DeRemer ($3.3 million). It’s still nearly five times as much as DeSpain raised for her challenge, though Republican funding is expected to flow to DeSpain now that she’s the official nominee. In 2022, Hoyle defeated Republican Alek Skarlatos despite being outspent by nearly $2 million.
Republicans plan to continue attacks on Hoyle over two racial discrimination lawsuits filed against the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries during her tenure as labor commissioner and documents showing she pushed for the bureau to give a $554,000 grant to a nonprofit organization founded by Rosa Cazares, a campaign donor and co-owner of the troubled cannabis company La Mota. The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating La Mota and its ties to Oregon politicians for more than a year.
DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol declined to address the reason for adding Hoyle to the frontline list in an emailed statement, focusing instead on Democrats’ optimism about winning the House.
“House Democrats are well-positioned to win back the majority, needing to flip only four seats this November,” Chermol said. “Our Frontline program ensures our battle-tested incumbents have the resources necessary to communicate their records of delivering real results.”