Runs For Statewide Office
In 1996, Mannix ran for Oregon Attorney General as a Democrat. At the last minute, Hardy Myers was recruited by Democrats to run against Mannix in the Democratic primary, as some felt Mannix was too conservative for their party. Myers defeated Mannix in the primary 62.8% to 36.8%. Myers went on to easily defeat his Republican opponent in the November general election. Mannix changed his party affiliation to Republican the following year, 1997. He was appointed to the state Senate in 1998.
In 2000, Mannix again ran for State Attorney General against Myers in a bitter campaign. Myers again defeated Mannix 49.8% to 46.2%. Libertarian candidate Tom Cox received 4.0%. There is the possibility that Cox siphoned off votes from Mannix, although it's far from certain that enough of them would have supported him to deny Myers victory.
In 2002, Mannix ran for Governor. In the Republican primary, he defeated former Labor Commissioner Jack Roberts and Portland attorney and school board chair Ron Saxton. He went on to run against Democrat Ted Kulongoski. Kulongoski won 49% of the vote versus 46% for Mannix. Libertarian candidate Tom Cox received 5% – a margin which many observe could have swung the election, had those votes gone to Mannix. The defeat also marked the fifth time in a row the Republicans failed to gain control of the Governor's mansion.
Mannix became Oregon Republican Party Chair in January 2003, and stepped down in 2005.
In 2006, Mannix ran again for the Republican nomination for Governor. He finished second in the primary with 30% of the vote, behind Saxton, who won the nomination with 43%, and ahead of state senator Jason Atkinson, who received 22%. Mannix was opposed in the primary by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, who spent $800,000 opposing the Columbia Gorge casino in the 2006 Democratic and Republican primaries. Saxton, widely considered more moderate than Mannix, went on to lose the General Election in May to incumbent Kulungoski by an 8.1% margin.
In 2008, Mannix ran for the United States House of Representatives in the U.S. House primary election for Oregon's 5th congressional district to succeed retiring Democrat Darlene Hooley. Mannix ran a vigorous campaign, but was narrowly defeated by Mike Erickson, who went on to lose to Kurt Schrader in the general election due in part to personal issues that Mannix brought up in the primary.
Read more about this topic: Kevin Mannix
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