Perennial GOP candidate Mark Callahan — who is hoping to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., this November — was dealt a blow earlier this month when his entire campaign staff quit.
Campaign staffers lodged a litany of complaints against Callahan, including that he made disturbing statements about disciplining his daughters. Divorce court records allege Callahan put a bar of soap in his daughter’s mouth and carved her name in the soap as a warning to her. But his campaign staffers said what made them quit was other inappropriate comments Callahan made about his daughters.
Ken Crow, a former senior adviser to the campaign, said he felt uncomfortable supporting Callahan and could not in good conscience try to get him elected to Congress. Crow said two other staffers also quit in protest.
Callahan ran for U.S. Senate in 2016 and tried to become chairman of the Oregon Republican Party.
During his bid for Oregon GOP leader, The Register-Guard reported the politician who touted being a fiscal conservative was receiving food stamps.
When reached by telephone, Callahan said he could not address his staffer's complaints but referred to a comment he made to the Portland Tribune. Callahan told the Tribune his staffers quit because they were disgruntled about the money they were being paid, a claim Crow disputed.