Business groups have been pouring money into the campaigns of three mid-valley Republicans running for the Oregon House.

Reps. Andy Olson of Albany and Sherrie Sprenger of Scio, and candidate Jim Thompson of Dallas, have had far more money to spend on their campaigns than their Democratic rivals.

The discrepancy is largest in House District 15, where Olson, a retired law enforcement officer, is running for re-election to his third term.

Campaign finance reports on file at the state Elections Division show that Olson has received cash contributions of more than $177,000 this year and spent nearly $160,000, much of it to support other Republicans around the state.

He has received support, in chunks ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, from the restaurant and soft drink industries, food processors, the electrical workers' union, bankers,

beverage makers

and neighborhood stores.

His Democratic challenger, Albany Councilman Dick Olsen, reports cashcontributions of less than $7,000 and has loaned himself $3,000. His recent contributions include $200 from Ciddici's Pizza in Albany, $600 from the Linn County Democratic Central Committee, and $500 from Benton Democrats.

The story is similar in House District 17, where Sprenger is running for the seat to which she was appointed.

She reports total cash contributions this year of more than $100,000. This week and last, she got $1,000 donations from the Oregon restaurant and beverage PACS, the concrete and aggregate industry, as well as from dentists, health insurers and soft drink bottlers.

Democrat Dan Thackaberry, a Lebanon farmer, reports under $21,000 in cash contributions, including $2,000 from himself. He had support from the nursery industry and AFSCME, a public employee union, among others.

In District 23, Thompson, running for a vacant seat, reported cash contributions of nearly $99,000, including $10,000 from a Republican campaign fund.

Democrat Jason Brown had cash contributions of about $34,000. Most of his recent donations came from the United Steelworkers and the Democratic central committees in Linn, Polk and Benton counties.

FINANCe REPORTS: Detailed campaign finance reports are available on the website of the Oregon Elections Division, http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections. On the site, go to OreStar