It's campaign season, the time when politicians try and make voters forget their mistakes and make new promises they have no plans to keep. Voters expect some level of truth.

Christine Goodwin has exposed herself to criticism with her mailer sent to Oregon Senate District 2. The mailer is titled, “Solid Record of Protecting Gun Rights.” Goodwin calls herself, “A Friend to Gun Owners & Strong Defender of the Second Amendment”. Next to that she writes “Voted no on making law abiding gun owners into criminals (HB 2005,2023)”.

In the middle is a statement, “The only Candidate Endorsed By Oregon Gun Rights.” This statement received the backlash from the Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF) Director Kevin Starrett. He says he has never seen or heard of anyone claiming that name speak or submit testimony on any gun bill. “After almost 30 years as advocates for Second Amendment rights, we can tell you we have no idea who “Oregon Gun Rights” is. They are not listed as a business by the Secretary of State. They are not a political action committee.”

“Oregongunrights.com” is the URL for the law firm of Gilroy, Napoli, Short. Their website lists OFF as an “affiliate or partner” but Starrett claims no affiliation with them exists. However, “Oregon Gun Rights” is a website address, not a company or organization. So exactly who or what “endorsed” Goodwin?

Goodwin is running for the seat that will be open due to Art Robinson being denied reelection for standing up for principles that caused Senators to walk out in 2023. Senator Robinson has been a committed defender of Second Amendment rights, and son Noah, who has worked beside Art throughout his tenure in the Senate, has filed to run for Senate District 2. Goodwin’s challenge to reach gun owners seems to be to eliminate any lost votes over gun issues.

Starrett points out that the reason Art Robinson is being denied to run for reelection, the House Republicans could have walked out and killed HB 2005 along with HB 2002 and saved our kids at no risk to their status, but they refused. By showing up for the vote was a vote for the bill because they knew it would pass even if they voted no.

Goodwin even posed on the Capitol steps with other Oregon Republicans with a giant fake check for a social media photo about a lawsuit they never filed and will no longer discuss. All of this stretches what her mailer claims and puts in question her claim of being a “friend of gun owners” or a “strong defender of the Second Amendment.”

Currently Goodwin is involved in a controversy regarding whether she actually lives in the Senate District whose seat she is seeking. The group of Josephine County voters dropped their lawsuit, but will refile if Goodwin wins the primary.


--Dollie Banner

Post Date: 2024-04-21 16:00:59

Last Update: 2024-04-21 16:01:23