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Week in Review: Voters Are Increasingly Concerned About “Threats to Democracy,” Which Spells Trouble for Drazan and Johnson


In Other News: Tina Kotek Leads Forum on Gun Violence Prevention

[Portland, OR] – American voters now rank “threats to democracy” as the most important issue facing the country, according to recent polls. That does not bode well for Christine Drazan and Betsy Johnson, who share ties with election deniers, Capitol rioters, and white supremacists.

This week, Timber Unity, a group with well-documented ties to white nationalists and other extremist groups, endorsed Drazan and praised Johnson.

Drazan said she appreciates the support from the group and she “looks forward to working with them in the future,” according to reporting from KGW’s Pat Dooris. Many outlets have pointed out that the group has links to extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, QAnon and the Three Percenter movement.

Meanwhile, Johnson also has an “anti-environment, pro-industry record” that has earned her fans in far-right circles. HuffPost reporter Chris D’Angelo lays out Johnson’s ties to Timber Unity and her “right-wing agenda” on climate in a blistering new profile:

“In February 2020, Timber Unity, then a fledgling pro-logging, anti-environmental group, organized a rally outside the capitol to oppose the second cap-and-trade bill. As has become the norm for Timber Unity events, the rally drew far-right extremists, anti-vaxxers and QAnon conspiracists. Members of the anti-government militia Three Percenters (also known as III% or Threepers) flew the organization’s flag and wore sweatshirts that read ‘When Tyranny Becomes Law — Rebellion Becomes Duty.’

“It was largely a right-wing affair to push back against Oregon’s latest attempt to confront the undeniable and mounting climate threat. Yet, there in the thick of it was Johnson, then still a powerful Democratic state senator. Photos from that day show Johnson proudly hoisting above her head both a #TimberUnity sign and a chunk of wood emblazoned with a loaded logging truck in front of the state capitol building — a “courage and conviction award” that the group bestowed on Johnson for her outsize role in killing the same legislation the previous year.”

The connections to election deniers and white supremacists don’t stop there. Drazan recently sent her well-wishes to a QAnon supporter who attended the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And, after OPB reported that some people in the crowd at one of Johnson’s rallies were wearing Confederate flag t-shirts, Johnson went on the attack rather than clearly denouncing the racist symbols

In other news, Tina Kotek held a forum in Portland to talk about common sense gun safety solutions last Wednesday, after Johnson and Drazan balked on debating the subject. Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts and local advocates made the case for electing Tina as Oregon’s next governor and called out Drazan and Johnson for repeatedly siding with the NRA over Oregonians’ safety.

The Oregon Capital Chronicle’s Julia Shumway reported:

”Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek has pushed for a debate solely on gun laws since a gunman murdered 19 young children in Texas this spring. 

“By Wednesday, in the wake of a grocery store shooting in one of Oregon’s largest cities, Kotek had given up on getting her two rivals in the governor’s race to debate gun policy. Instead, she joined gun control advocates, including the leader of a national gun safety group, at a performance space in north Portland to talk about gun control on her own….

“Both Johnson and Drazan have received “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association, and both voted against gun control measures during their years in the Legislature. Johnson, who spent 20 years in the Legislature, voted against laws that expanded background checks and prevented people convicted of domestic abuse from obtaining guns. Drazan, the House Republican leader from 2019 to 2021, voted against legislation requiring safe gun storage.”

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