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POLITICS Richardson says lack of cash hindered campaign Central Point governor hopeful says he couldn't raise enough donations Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 18, 2014 at 12:01 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 18, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News Campaign cash dried up in the final weeks of Dennis Richardson’s bid for governor, severely crimping his ability to buy ads and possibly costing him the election. “What I really learned is that it is all about the money,” the Central Point Republican said Monday when reached by phone in Idaho, where he was spending time with his family. Richardson said Republican donors who powered up the Chris Dudley for governor campaign in 2010 refused to give him the cash he needed to keep pace with Gov. John Kitzhaber. “I’m disappointed in Nike and other Republican donors who refused to stay with their principles, but instead made contributions based on political considerations,” he said. In the end, Richardson was just over 80,000 votes behind Kitzhaber in the Nov. 4 election. The governor received $4.7 million in donations, of which $4.2 million was cash, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office. Richardson received $2.8 million in donations, with $1.9 million in cash. By contrast, Dudley raised more than $10 million and lost by a 20,000-vote margin to Kitzhaber. Richardson said he needed at least another $1 million for a strong ad campaign once ballots went out to voters Oct. 17. At that time, Kitzhaber blitzed the airways with ads attacking Richardson. “We were not able to be on television the way Kitzhaber was,” Richardson said. “Some days I was on the phone for seven hours asking for contribution after contribution.” Richardson said he was successful in two out of three goals for the campaign, however. He believes he did a good job introducing himself to Oregon voters, then showing why his opponent should not be in office. But he failed to offer a strong enough reason for voters to switch from the incumbent to him during the last weeks of the campaign, he said. “I was not able to describe what Dennis Richardson has to offer as opposed to the scandal-ridden incumbent,” he said. Richardson also said voter turnout could have been higher in many rural counties, which would have helped get him more votes. Rep. Sal Esquivel, R-Medford, said he thinks the outcome of the race would have been substantially different if Richardson could have raised more cash. “If Dennis would have had another million or two million dollars, that race would have been a photo finish,” he said. The governor was rocked by one scandal after another, culminating in reports about his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, who admitted to marrying an Ethiopian immigrant in 1997 for a $5,000 fee so he could legally stay in the country. Also, she was involved in purchasing a property for a marijuana grow site in the late 1990s. In addition, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission reviewed complaints Hayes inappropriately mingled her role as first lady and as a private consultant. “The hits, they kept on coming,” Esquivel said. But Richardson couldn’t take advantage of the scandals in the final weeks of the campaign, he said. “He just ran out of gas, money-wise,” Esquivel said. Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, said Richardson ran a very strong campaign, particularly for a candidate from Southern Oregon with poor name recognition in Multnomah County. He said he realizes Richardson was struggling to raise money, but he doesn’t think that would have necessarily put him over the top with voters. “Issues with the governor’s fiancée made a little difference with some voters, but not a lot of traction came out of it,” Buckley said. The issues that came up during the end of the campaign didn’t define the governor, who has a lot of positive history with voters, Buckley said. On the other hand, Buckley said Richardson had to deal with his very conservative stance on issues and his extensive voting record in the Legislature. “That didn’t motivate people to leave Kitzhaber and vote for Richardson,” Buckley said. Richardson said he and his wife are stepping away from politics and are helping their daughter in Idaho with a student housing project. “At this point, I have absolutely no intention of doing anything politically in the future,” he said. “If you can’t win with that kind of opponent, how could I win in the future? Notwithstanding the fraud, waste and abuse of power in office, the governor got re-elected.” He said he enjoyed his 12 years serving as a representative from Southern Oregon and believes he has served long enough in the Legislature. “It’s time for me to refocus on other things,” he said. Richardson said he will remain involved in ACCESS and in St. Vincent de Paul. He said he will be looking for other areas of public service where he could use his skills. Richardson said he appreciated the support he and his wife received from Southern Oregon during his time in office and during the campaign. “The political chapter of our life seems to have closed, and we’re looking forward to the next chapter of our lives,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 18, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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