Oregon Democrats form Gun Owners Caucus

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Sep 13, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

In a bid to blunt the Republican Party’s appeal to gun owners, the Democratic Party of Oregon voted over the weekend to form a Gun Owners Caucus made up of party members who own firearms.

Although the caucus is intended to include Democrats throughout the state, it was sponsored by Portland party activist Jim Robinson.

“Being from Portland makes Jim a perfect sponsor for showing who we are,” said supporter and party activist Zak Johnson. “Republicans outside the Willamette Valley try to win votes by running against the boogieman of a Portland liberal, but I know a lot of Portland liberals who own guns and support the Second Amendment. Democrats are the party of civil rights, and gun ownership is our right that protects the rest.”

Party executive director Neel Pender confirmed the caucus is intended to counter the image of Democrats as anti-Second Amendment.

“There are a lot of Democratic sportsmen and women who are tired of the right wing hijacking gun issues,” Pender said. “They want to have an official voice within the party on Second Amendment issues.”

Oregon Republican Party officials could not be reached for comment.

The vote to form the caucus occurred during a quarterly meeting of the party’s State Central Committee on Saturday in Salem. The move is part of a national effort by the party to reach out to gun owners. Several prominent Democrats publicly have declared their support of the Second Amendment in recent years, including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Nevada U.S. Sen. and Minority Leader Harry Reid.

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