Police PAC endorsements raise a needle and create strong feelings in competitive races

Polls show that voters care much more about public safety than in previous election cycles, which is why the support of ORCOPS, the statewide political action committee that represents rank-and-file police officers, is highly sought after.

And while ORCOPS doesn’t have much money, its members are playing prominent roles in two of the most important races of the November election: the hard-fought battle in the 5th Congressional District between incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) and her challenger, state Rep Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley); and the race for an open attorney general seat between Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) and Will Lathrop, the GOP nominee.

Unlike most prominent PACs, which tend to put their names behind either Democrats or Republicans, ORCOPS has endorsed Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican, in the CD5 race and Rayfield, a Democrat, in the AG race.

This is despite the fact that Rayfield voted almost identically to his Democratic colleague in the House of Representatives, Bynum, on the list of police reforms she promoted and passed in 2021, after George Floyd. The two Democrats also both voted to re-criminalize drugs this year.

ORCOPS President, Portland Police Bureau Sgt. Aaron Schmautz says his PAC board sees huge differences between Bynum and Rayfield, despite their similar voting records on police issues. (One difference, Schmautz says, is Measure 110, which Bynum originally supported and Rayfield told ORCOPS he voted against.)

Schmautz says his group is still upset about the reforms Bynum made, which he believes stems from their unwillingness to compromise. “I met her in 2021. I tried to explain to her the possible problems with these bills,” he says. “This session was a blatant attack on law enforcement. There is no one in law enforcement who doesn’t want to hold officers accountable, but it has really limited officers’ ability to do their jobs.”

Specifically, Schmautz points to a 2021 bill that limits the reasons for traffic stops, which he says means unregistered or unsafe vehicles get a free pass. And he also says restrictions on tear gas use in 2021 will make crowd control officers more likely to lay hands on protesters, leading to more arrests and higher risk for everyone.

According to Schmautz, race played no role in ORCOPS’s decision to target Bynum, who is black (the organization released a statement condemning her on October 10) or in its decision to support Rayfield, who is white.

“I take issue with the suggestion that race plays any role in our decisions,” he says. “I tried to build a relationship with Rep. Bynum. She didn’t want anything to do with it. Lori [Chavez-DeRemer]“On the other hand, it was extremely moderate and speaks well to our issues.” (ORCOPS supported Chavez-DeRemer in 2022 over Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner.)

A spokeswoman for Bynum’s campaign, Blakely Wall, says ORCOPS provides an inaccurate assessment of Bynum.

“Janelle Bynum is proud of her record and efforts to keep Oregonians safe – including the public safety package that was supported by sheriffs and Republicans alike when she was in the Legislature,” Wall said. “Unlike the partisans who oppose her, she looks forward to working with anyone who can be an ally to law enforcement and public safety in Congress.”

Schmautz says that unlike Bynum, Rayfield, who served as co-chair of the budget-writing Joint Ways and Means Committee and later as House speaker, worked closely with ORCOPS to streamline the bills from a 2021 perspective. People change, grow and improve based on new knowledge,” says Schmautz.

That means Rayfield receives ORCOPS’ support even though his law practice focused on personal injury cases in civil court and his troubled youth led to arrests for drunken driving and criminal mischief. ORCOPS’ election of the Democrat is a setback for the GOP, whose donors poured more than $1.5 million into Lathrop’s campaign, believing voters’ concern for public safety and Lathrop’s background gave them the best chance of winning the AG race in decades.

Lathrop, who served as a prosecutor in Yamhill and Marion counties for nine years, is deeply disappointed in ORCOPS’ choice.

“Dan Rayfield’s criminal history and law enforcement record stand alone,” he said. “As one of the most powerful politicians in Oregon, he used his authority to strip law enforcement of tools and funding, ignore victims of sexual assault and make our state less safe.”

Lathrop says his resume makes him a better fit for the job. “Rayfield’s complete lack of criminal law experience as an attorney makes him unsuitable to become Oregon’s top law enforcement official,” he said.

Schmautz has a different opinion. “We have a long history with Dan Rayfield,” he says. “We found him to be communicative and considerate. Our board felt that Will didn’t know exactly what the attorney general’s job was – he was running for attorney general. We have board members from all over the state and our vote was unanimous.”