UPDATE- Allen Alley won Sunday’s straw poll at the Dorchester conference by a margin of 60 votes over 2nd place winner Chris Dudley.

BY SARAH ROSS

SEASIDE- Amidst the annual gathering of Oregon Republicans, known as the Dorchester Conference, the three Republican candidates for governor debated the state’s top issues and their strategies Friday night.

The candidates, Allen Alley, Chris Dudley, and John Lim, met at the conference where participants each year vote on the Republican Party positions on state and national policy issues.

The debate, moderated by Eastern Oregon’s Congressman Greg Walden, R, consisted of questions on Eastern Oregon, drawing young and independent voters, the Klamath Basin agreement, education, and tax policy.

The candidates‘answers on each question were similar and even they each admitted that there were not many differences in their policy ideas.

When asked their top priorities, each man stated jobs was the issue needed most to be focused on.
“We need government to work on the same side as business and not against it,” said Dudley in his answer also naming education and putting into place an administration with business experience.

Alley specified his answers to not just creating jobs, but instead creating careers through economic freedom. Additionally, he mentioned a need for energy independence and control on government liabilities.

Lim told the audience he believed in creating jobs by keeping the government from growing too fast and jokingly said, as the only Asian governor, he would get money back from Asian countries which drew great laughter from the crowds.

In their closing statements, the candidates addressed problems with “out of control” government spending.
“We spent 37% more and got nothing,” said Alley.

Dudley said that he is optimistic the problems can be resolved saying, “This mess we’re in is not impossible to fix. If we stand together, we can change the direction.”

Lim finished the evening by pointing out flaws in the other candidates’ voting records and policy positions then calling himself the best candidate for the governor’s race.