Members were captivated by the contrasts between Governor Tom McCall and Governor Bob Straub, who both vied for the Governor's Mansion at the same time during the 60s and early 70s. Many of the McCall environmental initiatives are owed to the work Straub did to bring those issues to the front of McCall's attention. In their attempts to one up each other, they made each other better candidates and public servants.
He ran for governor 4 times, (1966, 1970,1974, and 1978). He only won in 1974, and as of right now is the only candidate in Oregon political history to have been nominated 4 consecutive times to run for Governor. If John Kitzhaber decides to run for a 2nd (4th ) term, he will match Straub's accomplishment of being nominated 4 times, just not consecutively. Here is a look at some of his runs for office before he made it to the statewide level in 1964.
His first foray into elective politics was a race for Lane County Commissioner in 1954. Here is a newspaper advert from the Eugene Register Guard in 1954 shortly before the November election.
Straub served on the county commission until being elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1958. It was in the State Senate he developed his reputation as an advocate for the less fortunate, conservation of Oregon's natural resources and emphasis on the needs of small businesses. All of these issues converged from his experiences growing up on a farm during the Great Depression and owning and operating his own farm business as an adult.
Here is a newspaper advert from his 1958 campaign for State Senate. It highlighted his support from Senator Wayne Morse, Richard Neuberger and Congressman Porter.
It is funny to think that in 1958, Charles Porter would endorse Straub and that by 1962 they would both be running for the 4th Congressional District nomination.
In his next quest for elected office was his first defeat during these early years. In 1962 he decided to make a run for Congress. The race for the nomination turned into a 4 way contest between 3 rather well known candidates and a fourth party activist. The 3 big names were, Bob Straub, Bob Duncan and former Congressman Charles Porter. Local party activist Patrick Flynn rounded out the group of Democrats running.
The Republicans had nominated local State Representative Carl Fisher (no relation). The winner would replace one term Congressman Ed Durno, who had decided to make a bid against Wayne Morse instead of face an uncertain re-election campaign for his seat. Apparently, Duncan and Straub had done a number on the editorial board of the Eugene Register Guard. The paper couldn't make a decision in the race,
The Choice this Friday lies between Straub's compelling idealism and humanity and Duncan's cool, detached, workman like view of the legislative process. The editors have spent many hours considering this contest. They have talked to the candidates, to the candidates' friends and opponents. They have discussed the race at great length among themselves. They have been unable to arrive at a single conclusion. Thus the Register-Guard recommends that after eliminating Porter and Flynn, Democrats choose carefully between the two Bobs, Straub or Duncan, either of whom would be a satisfactory candidate.
Duncan, Straub, and Porter all finished very close with only about a 4,200 vote difference between 1st place and 3rd. Bob Straub finished in third place with about 14,000 votes. His first defeat, but he picked himself up and went right back to working on the issues that drove him to public service. In 1964, he would be elected to a 4 year term as State Treasurer of Oregon.
If anyone has any items from these early campaigns, feel free to send an image along to us. The next Straub post will deal with his statewide campaigns.
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