Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is one of the first Republican presidential candidates to establish a grassroots network in Oregon, and he is doing so with the help of Mitt Romney’s former campaign chairman in the state.
Former Republican state Rep. Shawn Lindsay has been tapped to lead the Florida senator’s presidential campaign in Oregon, according to the Rubio campaign. Lindsay was elected to the Oregon State Legislature in 2010 and later became the state chairman for Romney’s presidential campaign after losing his re-election bid in 2012.
“Marco is a next-generation leader who understands the problems of the 21st century, and he has bold plans for solving them,” Lindsay said in a statement released Tuesday. “I’m proud to support Marco Rubio, and I look forward to helping him build his team here in Oregon.”
Lindsay currently works as a business and intellectual property attorney at a law firm in Lake Oswego, Ore. He says he is eager to build on the “swelling support” for Rubio in the state and will provide the Florida Republican’s campaign with Oregon-specific suggestions throughout the primary season.
“We will definitely plan to grow the network and grow the base so that if [Rubio] comes to Oregon, it will be well worth his time,” Lindsay told the Washington Examiner. “As far as what we did in 2012 for Mitt Romney, we’ll do the same for Rubio and his campaign.”
According to Lindsay, Oregon voters are hungry for a presidential candidate who is “wholesome, honest and trustworthy.” Oregon has witnessed several instances of corruption in its state government in recent years.
In February, the Beaver State’s Democratic governor, John Kitzhaber, was forced to resign amidst allegations that he’d used government contracts with his fiancee’s consulting firm to advance her private interests. Moreover, the state’s Obamacare exchange, Cover Oregon, reportedly cost federal taxpayers over $300 million after becoming entangled in scandals and later being dissolved.
“We’ve been through a number of issues with local politicians in Oregon, and I think Rubio provides a breath of fresh air, especially for Oregon voters,” Lindsay said.
Oregon is the latest state where Rubio is attempting to build grassroots support in anticipation of a prolonged Republican primary. As previously reported by the Washington Examiner, the junior senator has appointed state campaign chairmen in Alaska and Maine and has on-the-ground volunteers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island Tennessee, Vermont, Wyoming and Connecticut.
The Oregon primary will take place on May 17, 2016. Since 1988, the state has consistently voted Democratic in presidential elections.
