A primary challenge for Oregon's Democratic Governor

Ted Kulongoski may have relatively high approval ratings and might be facing a disheartened Republican opposition, but it appears as though he will face a primary challege in 2006 in his bid for reelection. David Steves does the heavy reporting in the Eugene Register-Guard:

Lane County Commissioner Peter Sorenson plans to announce his candidacy for governor today, even if that means a primary challenge against fellow Democrat and incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Sorenson has scheduled news conferences today in Eugene, Portland and Salem to announce the formation of a campaign committee for the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

In an interview Thursday, Sorenson said Oregonians deserve an alternative to Kulongoski and whoever wins the Republican nomination - which so far has drawn the unofficial candidacy of Oregon Republican Party Chairman Kevin Mannix, who lost to Kulongoski in 2002.

Sorenson said neither of the presumed front-runners has shown a willingness or ability to shore up Oregon's education system, which has not recovered from the financial hit leveled by the recession of 2001-03. He was especially critical of his fellow Democrat, Kulongoski.

I'm skeptical that this could at all help the state's Republicans in their bid to move out of obscurity, but (if Kulongoski wins the Democratic nomination) the Governor's margin of reelection should be diminished. Make no doubt: Oregon will be a state to watch in 2006, though the Democrats should nonetheless win across the board.