Race for Congress
By George Robertson
Correspondent, The Sun
Although there are four candidates on the ballot in the special election this month to replace 1st District Congressman David Wu, the race is expected to come down to just the two from the major political parties—Democrat Suzanne Bonamici and Republican Rob Cornilles.
Both candidates have received strong support with advertising dollars from their national parties who are battling for control of Congress and the White House. And both candidates generally follow their party’s line on issues.
Bonamici, a Beaverton attorney who has served in the Oregon Senate and House, has the advantage of running in a heavily Democratic district that includes most of the West Valley. Democrats have held the seat for 38 years and currently enjoy a 12 percent edge in registered voters.
Cornilles, a Washington County businessman, was a newcomer to politics two years ago when he won a hotly-contested Republican primary but then lost to Wu in the general election. Wu resigned last year in the middle of his sixth term after news reports of erratic behavior and a sex scandal.
 The other two candidates in the race are Libertarian James Foster and Progressive Steven Reynolds.
Bonamici and Cornilles differ on virtually all major issues. Here are some examples:
Medicare reform: Cornilles has opposed Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to move Medicare to a fully private system but he supports a bipartisan deal that could trim benefits for future Social Security recipients. Bonamici says that seniors should not be penalized for the financial crash and points out that Medicare and Social Security provide seniors economic security. She supports raising taxes on Social Security on incomes above $250,000 a year.
Economic growth: Bonamici supports extending the payroll tax holiday and favors raising income taxes on the wealthy. Cornilles says he would wait until December to decide whether to extend federal tax cuts. He also says his business background will help him work on economic growth programs in Congress, including going after federal money to build a new bridge over the Columbia River.
Immigration: Bonamici says the top priority is to crack down on the borders to stop the flow of illegal aliens. Cornilles agrees that the borders need to be secured and blamed drug wars and child trafficking on illegal immigration.
Both candidates have traded jabs during debates. In a Jan. 10 televised debate, Cornilles accused Bonamici of being part of the “establishment” that defended Wu even after reports surfaced that he tried to force sex on a young woman. Bonamici denied the accusation and countered that Cornilles was “slinging mud” because he was behind in the polls.
The winner of the special election will hold the District 1 seat through the end of this year.
Ballots for the special election were mailed to registered voters last week and must be returned to the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31.
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