Oregon Public Broadcasting

Now that the primary is over, Oregon's two gubernatorial hopefuls hit the campaign trail today Wednesday.

Both began in Northeast Portland.

Amelia Templeton visited a coffee shop to see how Chris Dudley kicked things off. But first, we hear from Kristian Foden-Vencil who went to a school with John Kitzhaber.

The former governor launched his general election push at a courtyard between two buildings at the DaVinci Arts School. A dozen people attended the event to express their support.

The first building was an old brick behemoth with inefficient boilers that date back to 1928.  The second, was recently constructed and produces all the energy it needs with technologies like solar panels and passive ventilation systems.

Kitzhaber says he wants to save millions of dollars and put thousands of people back to work by renovating Oregon's old school buildings.

John Kitzhaber: "We have 90 million square feet of schools in the Oregon Public School system and they pay anywhere from 21 cents to $2.10 a square foot for energy. ... So I'm here today to launch a key element of my economic development strategy to re-employ thousands of Oregonians through large scale energy conservation projects. Starting with our public school buildings."

Kitzhaber calls it's a quadruple win proposition. He says money will be saved by lower energy costs and that money can be used to put people back to work.

But Kitzhaber also acknowledged that Oregon's budget problems won't be solved by energy conservation projects alone.

John Kitzhaber: "There's no question that we're going to be facing a cut budget in 2011. This hole is too big to tax our way out of. It's too big to cut our way out of."

After laying out his plans, Kitzhaber was asked how he's going to distinguish himself from his newly identified Republican challenger, Chris Dudley.

John Kitzhaber: "I think the main difference is probably, is I've got some history and some direct experience. I understand and was around when we went into a couple of our boom and bust cycles. I understand what went into them. I understand what we tried to do together and what we need to do today."

Kitzhaber will now continue his campaign through the state.

A few blocks from the DaVinci school, Republican candidate and former Trail Blazer Chris Dudley towers over a small crowd of reporters outside a coffee shop. Dudley brushes off Kitzhaber's suggestion that he lacks experience.

Chris Dudley: "Do you have to be a government insider to be governor. I say no, I say no."

Pressed about how his background has prepared him to tackle the state's sluggish economy, he points to an economics degree from Yale and 16 years of leadership in the NBA union. Dudley says Oregon needs to embrace business. 

Chris Dudley: "I think social services do great things but they're spinning the wheels unless there's an opportunity out there for business, and to get job growth going."

He's promised to reduce the capitol gains tax and increase deductions for businesses. 

Dudley wraps up the press conference and ambles over to the Portland Boys and Girls Club on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Dudley is on the club's board. And he says he's worked with youth organizations in Northeast Portland for fifteen years. Three dozen high school students listen while he gives a short speech.

Chris Dudley: "Whatever your dream may be from police officer to botanist, you  just go after it. Don't let anybody else tell you you can't do it."

Shirley Mallory is one of the students. She says she's voting for the first time in this election, and she plans to vote Republican. But she wasn't entirely convinced by Dudley's visit.  Shirley Mallory: " Honestly I feel like everything is cliché. So I don't really know what he's really about, you know. Cause like, he's not from where I'm from, you know. So how is he going to help me."  

Dudley chats one on one with the students. Then he hugs his kids and wife and ducks into a car.

With campaign stops planned in Prineville and Medford, he's got about 400 miles to go before the day is over.