Castaneda Debuts Giant Advertising in House Race

Castaneda door hanger: front

This week's WW cover story—on Stimson Lumber CEO Andrew Miller bankrolling Republicans in Clackamas County and Oregon legislative racesnotes that Miller's favorite legislative candidate is Manuel Castaneda, an entrepreneur who is challenging Rep. Jeff Barker (D-Aloha).

Castaneda is considered a heavy underdog. But his campaign isn't likely to be forgotten soon.

The campaign marketing, created by Stimson-funded Oregon Transformation Project PAC, has already included mailers falsely claiming Barker receives "a government pension worth more than $100,000 a year." This week, as reported by The Oregonian, the campaign launched a TV ad starring Republican House candidate Anne Marie Gurney and Oregon Transformation Project employee Lindsay Berschauer playing average voters more concerned about Barker than their right to choose.

But Castaneda's door hangers are on a different scale—literally.

They're three feet long, and double-sided. "Aloha means hello to the future: Manuel Castaneda," reads one side. "Aloha means goodbye to the past: Jeff Barker," says the other.

Oregon Transformation Project PAC co-chair Rob Kremer says the hangers were an idea the group got from a California legislative race.

"You have to deal with 'em," Kremer says. "You can't just toss them in the recycling."

WWeek 2015

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