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‘We are not a battleground state’: Donald Trump did not submit a statement for the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet

(Update: Adding video, comments from Republican supporters and election analyst)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)- With the Oregon Voters' Pamphlets expected to hit your mailbox soon, you might see a familiar name missing from the pages of statements from candidates - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will have a photo and candidate statement in the Voter's Pamphlet for the May 21 primary. But Trump will only appear by name in a list of GOP candidates, and of course on the Republican Primary ballot.

All this tells us is that the campaign was just not organized enough to make the deadline and didn't get it in on time," election analyst and Pacific University political science professor Jim Moore said Wednesday.

"And that's the way it is that happens to campaigns all the time," Moore added. "We just generally don't see it in a in a big national campaign like this."

"We are not a battleground state," he explained. "We're a state that's probably going to vote overwhelmingly for Joe Biden as a whole when we get to November. So why would the Trump campaign be really well organized here in Oregon? It doesn't doesn't matter that much"

According to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, the Trump campaign did not submit a statement or photo for this year's pamphlet, which would have cost $3,500. A spokesperson tells us they reached out to his camp to ask why, but did not receive an explanation.

Republican supporters like radio talk show host Lars Larson are not concerned about the omission, or its impact on the election.

"Frankly, everybody who's going to vote for Donald Trump, including me, knows he's on the ballot. And I don't think it's necessary," Larson said. "Now, do I think it would have been nice to see him in the Voters' pamphlet? Absolutely."

The Secretary of State's Office tells us the $3,500 cost for a statement in the Voters' Pamphlet is used to help cover printing and mailing. 

It's unusual not to submit a statement. The Secretary of State's Office reports only three presidential candidates have not done so since 2012 - none was their party's apparent nominee.

Jim Moore said voters should not be worried.

"There's no suppression going on. There's no skullduggery. This is the Donald Trump campaign making a mistake - or being so disorganized, they didn't know they were making a mistake."

With the nomination apparently secured, Trump will have another opportunity to put a statement in the Oregon Voters' Pamphlet in the November general election.

Article Topic Follows: Government-politics

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Isabella Warren

Isabella Warren is a multimedia journalist for NewsChannel 21. Learn more about Isabellahere.

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