Three of the Republicans seeking their party’s
nomination for governor in the May primary will
debate at the Dorchester Conference, an unofficial
gathering of Republicans.
The debate will follow the opening ceremony at 8 p.
m. Friday at the Seaside Convention Center.
Allen Alley, Chris Dudley and John Lim have
accepted invitations to the debate, which will be
moderated by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, the only GOP
member of Oregon’s congressional delegation. Bill
Sizemore, the party’s 1998 nominee and a candidate
this time, is not listed as a participant.
A straw poll will be conducted March 7.
Walden and former U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, who lost
his re-election bid in 2008, will speak Saturday.
Delegates will debate five topics: A state requirement
for locator beacons, restructuring of Oregon
universities to make some of them public
corporations, U.S. military withdrawal from
Afghanistan, the federal budget and the national
debt, and restructuring of the state tax system.
