U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley's decision to retire set off a scramble to replace her.
Several prominent Democrats and Republicans haven't decided yet, one prominent Democrat said he would not run, and a Republican already in the race is going ahead.
Hooley, a Democrat from West Linn, said Thursday she would not seek a seventh term in the 5th District, which covers the Mid-Valley and central coast. Hooley, then a Clackamas County commissioner, unseated Republican incumbent Jim Bunn of Dayton in 1996 after one term.
"There's a Republican registration edge," said Peter Courtney, a Salem Democrat who is president of the Oregon Senate. "But it seems to me that a Democrat can hang in there, and I think it will be a Democratic year in Oregon."
Courtney sought the Democratic nomination for the seat in 1984 but said he is not a candidate now.
The 5th District is one of two in Oregon with a Republican edge, though their margin over Democrats was about 5,000 of a total of 377,000 registered voters as of last November. Republicans had 38.6 percent of the total, Democrats 37.2 percent, and the rest are unaffiliated or with minor parties.
"It's clearly a seat both parties would like -- Democrats to hold onto and Republicans to take -- and that Republicans have a legitimate chance to take the seat," said Jim Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University.
Potential Democratic candidates include Paul Evans of Monmouth, a military and veterans' aide to Gov. Ted Kulongoski, also a former mayor and an Oregon Senate nominee in 2006; state Sen. Kurt Schrader of Canby; and Martha Schrader, his wife and a Clackamas County commissioner since 2003.
Evans is married to Joan Evans, Hooley's chief of staff.
Potential Republican candidates include state Rep. Brian Boquist of Dallas, the party's nominee in 2000 and 2002; former state Rep. Kevin Mannix of Salem, a four-time statewide candidate; Mike Erickson of Clackamas, a businessman and the party's 2006 nominee, who already is running this year, and Bill Kennemer of Milwaukie, a Clackamas County commissioner since 1997, who is a candidate for the Oregon House.
"I thought about it for two seconds and decided against it," said state Sen. Fred Girod of Lyons, who made his own bid for the Republican nomination in 1994 but lost to Bunn.
Moore said the Democratic and Republican congressional campaign committees will make sure their nominees for the general election are well-funded.
Republicans
Boquist said that without Hooley, the political environment changes for the race.
"She had a unique fit with the district and was able to retain enough Republican votes to continue holding the seat," he said. "Now there is no predominant figure on either side."
Boquist already is seeking an open seat in the Oregon Senate after two terms in the House, but expected to make another try for Congress in 2010. He hadn't planned a run this year, given the uncertain prospects for Republicans nationally.
"Several of us have run for the seat and are invested in the seat, and we're scratching our heads and saying it's now or never," he said. "I'm not ruling it out. I'm definitely looking at it."
Mannix, who switched parties 11 years ago, said he also will be thinking about the race.
"I've always said she would be a tough incumbent to beat, because she's a good person and has provided excellent constituent service, even though I disagree with her philosophically," Mannix said.
But the Salem lawyer said he was considering another bid for attorney general. Republicans have fielded no candidate so far for attorney general, which Mannix lost bids for in 1996 as a Democrat and in 2000 as a Republican. Mannix also ran for governor in 2002 and 2006.
Hooley defeated Erickson in 2006 by 54 percent to 43 percent, the rest of the votes split among two minor-party candidates. Erickson spent $1.6 million of his own money, and already was running again.
"We are going to fund this campaign as much as needed," Erickson said. "It will be one of the most well- funded congressional campaigns on the West Coast."
Moore said some other prominent Republican might have a better shot at winning the seat.
"People who have run before but have not won have just a small leg up on unknown candidates, unless they have done something to keep themselves before the public," Moore said.
If Evans and Boquist are in the race, there would be two candidates with Iraq War service. Evans, a major in the Oregon Air National Guard, also served in Afghanistan in 2006.
Democrats
Like most people, Evans said Hooley's decision came as a surprise.
"Darlene has been our congresswoman for 12 years, and she has done a lot for veterans and others, so that it's still hard to believe it," Evans said. "But she has certainly earned the right to enjoy Oregon a little more often."
Evans could inherit the Democratic mantle, although he lost an Oregon Senate bid to Republican incumbent Jackie Winters of Salem in 2006.
"My wife and I are going to take the weekend, talk with some family and friends, and announce something Monday or Tuesday. It's a big decision, and we need to make sure it's the right one."
Kurt Schrader, a Canby veterinarian and 11-year veteran of the Legislature, could run without giving up his Senate seat. But Martha Schrader would have to forgo re-election as a county commissioner.
One prominent Democrat took himself out of the running Thursday.
State Rep. Dave Hunt of Gladstone, who once was district director for Hooley in Oregon, said he would like to run for his old boss' seat. But with two children ages 8 and 12, he said, "this is not a good time for me to be in a job that involves traveling every week."
Hunt also is the majority leader of the Oregon House and will lead the Democratic effort to maintain or expand the party's 31-29 majority over Republicans in the House.
Hunt said this election was the "best possible opportunity" for another Democrat to replace Hooley, even though party affiliation among voters is almost even. He said greater voter participation in presidential-election years usually favors Democrats, and Democrats may capitalize on President Bush's unpopularity, although Bush will not be on the ballot.
Hunt also said that Hooley struck just the right position in the 5th District.
"I think she has demonstrated that people are looking for a thoughtful, moderate legislator who gets things done," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.