Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon State Senator Kurt Schrader sailed to an easy victory Tuesday night. He's the Democratic's  choice to run for the seat Congresswoman Darlene Hooley is vacating.

Schrader's opponent will be Mike Erickson, a wealthy businessman from Tigard who's spent hundreds of thousands of his own money to clinch a Republican primary win.

Schrader, who's spent eleven years serving in Oregon's capitol, hopes the voters will see it this way.

Kurt Schrader: "'Hmm which is the party of fiscal responsibility? Oh yeah, that would be Kurt Schrader, co-chair, Ways and Means committee, Democrats can balance the budget.'  I think we're in very good shape. His personal money will not make a difference in a national race. I think we're going to be playing on a very level playing field."

The race is expected to draw a flood of national contributions from both the Democratic and Republican parties.