In his Hot Air Column (2/6), Tony Corcoran says the reasons to vote for Doyle Canning over Peter DeFazio are because DeFazio is “too old, too experienced and too male.” A more serious take was given by leading national climate group, 350 Action, who endorsed Canning for being among “forward-thinking candidates whose platforms are the zeitgeist of how we address the climate crisis.” Local Sunrise groups endorsed Canning citing her “decades-long career as a community organizer” and for being “a leader not beholden to the fossil-fuel industry.”

During this same time DeFazio was pulling in campaign funding from oil and gas companies and saying Jordan Cove LNG “looks like a great project for Coos Bay.” Facing his first primary challenger ever, he has suddenly refunded some of this money and decided to oppose the fracked gas project.

Numerous progressive groups have also endorsed Canning including the high-profile Brand New Congress, who cited her “20 years fighting for communities and standing up to Wall Street Banks, big polluters, and the politicians they pay for.” They note that Canning clerked for EarthJustice to fight Trump’s assault on environmental protection during law school at UO where she graduated 3rd in her class while raising two young children.

While Canning was finishing her degree, DeFazio was running what he calls a “grassroots” campaign which raised over $500,000 from corporate PACs in 2019 alone, most of which is designated to be used in the primary against Canning who takes zero corporate PAC money.

Colin Moran

Eugene