President Donald Trump’s Re-election Campaign Is Considering Putting Resources Into Oregon

The president's campaign says it's interested in "testing the waters."

President Donald J. Trump (Gage Skidmore)

Oregon votes blue. Oregon always votes blue. Oregon has voted blue in every presidential election since 1984.

President Donald Trump is considering investing re-election resources in Oregon anyway.

CNN reports that a recent memo to the Trump campaign from pollster Tony Fabrizio suggested that the President should consider "expanding the map" when campaigning for re-election—and included Oregon among possible options for the campaign to consider. And a senior campaign source told CNN that they were considering hiring staff here to "test the waters" on the Pacific coast.

Does the GOP really think Oregon is winnable? Not necessarily. But they do know there's no guarantee of continuing support from states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which Trump won by the narrowest of margins in 2016. They're trying to keep their options open.

And as Trump's team has proved before, states can be unpredictable. Like Oregon, Wisconsin hadn't voted Republican in a presidential vote since Reagan's re-election in 1984—but went red for Trump. Could Oregon be next?

Kevin Hoar, communications director for the Oregon Republican Party, says he thinks there's a chance. "Every day Oregonians can see that President Trump is taking on the big problems and making the economy a huge success," he told CNN.

But Oregon Democratic Party official Molly Woon is doubtful. The Republican party's policies don't align with her state's values, she says; and while the GOP is welcome to visit, "they should be prepared for an icy reception from Oregon voters."

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