in Congress run

Sid Leiken, the mayor of Springfield who is making a run for Congress in the 4th District, spent part of Wednesday in the mid-valley meeting with fellow Republicans and others.

He said he talked with state Sen. Frank Morse of Albany as well as Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist and John Lindsey.

Leiken, 47, has been the Springfield mayor since 2000. In May he filed paperwork to run in 2010 for the seat held by Congressman Peter DeFazio, a Democrat.

DeFazio has not announced whether he intends to seek another term or maybe run for governor instead. Leiken said he expects that announcement sometime in September.

"Either way, I'd run," he said.

Republicans have had no luck trying to unseat DeFazio, who has been in Congress since 1987. In 2008, no Republican filed against him.

Leiken is aware of that history but pointed out that he's the first challenger from the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area and has 11 years of experience in elected office in local government.

"He won't be there forever," he said of DeFazio.

Leiken grew up in Roseburg and graduated from South Eugene High School after his family moved there.

The 4th District, which he said is in "dire straits" because of unemployment, needs someone in Congress who can speak for job-creating small business in the district.

Another candidate for the Republican nomination is Jaynee Germond, who ran against DeFazio last year under the banner of the Constitution Party.

Democrat-Herald