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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Lawnridge Street fire levels house, sends man to hospital with burns ... Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire ... Truck crashes, spills gravel into road in east Medford ... Lawnridge Street fire levels house, sends man to hospital with burns ... Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire ... Truck crashes, spills gravel into road in east Medford ... OUR VIEW Our View: Senate District 3 race will be short, vigorous Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Alan DeBoer has his work cut out for him in his bid to succeed the late state Sen. Alan Bates. The numbers in Senate District 3 favor the Democratic nominee, Medford attorney and Talent resident Tonia Moro, although if any candidate has a shot at shifting that district into the R column, it's DeBoer. A lifetime Ashland resident and longtime owner of Airport Chevrolet and TC Chevrolet, DeBoer is a former Ashland City Council member and mayor with a long history of community involvement, including service on the Ashland School Board, the Mt. Ashland Association board and the Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation. When he announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination in House District 5 in March, DeBoer said he wanted to avoid partisan politics and seek solutions by working with Democrats and Republicans in Salem. "Democrats would be better off to have me as a Republican,” he said at the time. He also said he would raise only $500 and not take contributions from outside District 5. He may want to change that approach if he hopes to prevail in his new race for a Senate seat that has been hotly contested by both parties. Senate District 3 has 32,701 registered Democrats and 25,221 Republicans, a Democratic advantage of 7,480 voters. Still, it's seen as a winnable seat by Republican interests upstate. Both parties and political action committees have poured huge amounts of money into past contests. In 2004, spending in the race between Bates and Jim Wright hit $750,000. The 2010 contest between Bates and Dave Dotterrer that went down to a recount topped $400,000. Democrats may have a registration advantage of about 7,500, but non-affiliated voters in District 3 total just under 20,000 — and those voters may end up determining the outcome. Even if DeBoer wants to hold down spending, political interests who want to move a Democratic seat into the R column and Democratic supporters who want to keep the seat blue won't be stingy with their money. Moro has made no statements about limiting spending, and she demonstrated a knack for organizing support when she took the nomination over 12 other candidates on the first ballot when the Democrats held their convention on Saturday. She also manages to run a law practice while serving as chairwoman of the Rogue Valley Transportation District and on the boards of OnTrack Inc. and the Oregon Public Transportation Plan Policy Advisory Committee. Voters of Senate District 3 have their homework to do. They will have two strong candidates to choose from on Nov. 8, and a little more than 10 weeks to decide between them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 25, 2016 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501