Oregon Democrats are reenergized by Kamala Harris’ campaign. Will it last?

The day after the news broke President Joe Biden was bowing out of the presidential race, all of Oregon’s Democratic congressional delegation and the state’s governor, Tina Kotek, threw their weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris brought in a record-breaking amount of money to fund her campaign within the first 24 hours, and it is becoming increasingly likely that Harris will be the de facto Democratic nominee pitted against former President Donald Trump. But what is less clear is how her entrance into the race will help some down-the-ballot political races in Oregon.

“A renewed focus on Trump and focus on the stakes of the election can only be good news for Democrats,” said Oliver Muggli, who runs the political action committee supporting Oregon Senate Democrats.

Muggli said Democrats are hopeful that for the first time in decades they can flip the seat in the state Senate representing Central Oregon. The incumbent, former Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, led the legislative walkout and is barred from seeking reelection. Muggli said he hasn’t seen an influx of cash locally yet, but he noted the top of the ticket matters and sees Harris as a unifying force.

Hannah Howell, who runs the political action committee for the Oregon House Democrats, said Deschutes County Democrats had five new volunteers offering their help within 30 minutes of the news breaking.

“Our candidates are feeling the energy while they are out canvassing voters,” Howell said.

Biden’s decision upended the race for president. But the past 11 days have been so eventful it’s hard to measure the impact; there was also the attempted assassination of Trump, the selection of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as Trump’s running mate and the Republican National Convention.

And Biden’s disastrous debate performance that pushed Democratic anxieties into the open and into overdrive happened less than a month ago. It seems relatively safe to assume a lot more will happen between now and November.

“You’re going to see the base and the parties get really energized right now and get a lot of momentum,” said Rebecca Tweed, a Republican political strategist in Oregon. “That’s pretty natural. But eventually that will die out a little bit.”

There is no doubt, however, that Biden’s decision has at least momentarily galvanized the party. And in especially tight races, like Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, that seems cause for Democratic optimism. The district, which spans from the Portland suburbs to Bend, is considered a crucial race in determining which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.

“This will mean that Democrats themselves will be more excited to work for candidates,” said Jim Moore, a political science professor and administrator at Pacific University. “The candidates themselves will probably have an easier time raising money. And it’ll all feed on itself as the Democrats say, ‘We can now move ahead, not with Biden around our neck.’”

Democrats can now shift their messaging to tie it more closely to Harris, who has been vocal on issues of reproductive rights and climate change.

“We’ve got half our state on fire. We need a president that is going to continue to invest in climate resilience. And that’s Kamala Harris,” U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, of Eugene, told OPB Sunday.

State Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, who was recently chosen to be the next caucus leader for Senate Democrats, said, “Oregon has perfected the art of coordinating up and down the ballot to win campaigns.”

“We are energized,” Taylor said in a statement.