La Bell Pulls Out of HD54 Race | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

La Bell Pulls Out of HD54 Race

The candidate notified the Oregon Working Families Party Sept. 19

click to enlarge La Bell Pulls Out of HD54 Race
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Tthe Oregon Working Families candidate for House District 54 has decided to end her run for the seat.

According to a press release from the Oregon Working Families party, the party fully supports Amanda La Bell's decision to end her campaign.

"As a party, we believe that when a candidate no longer has the trust of their community, they should withdraw their candidacy," the party wrote in the release. "It is this belief that compelled us to enter the race for House District 54, and it is this same belief that compels us to support Amanda in stepping out."

With La Bell out of the race, it leaves voters in the district—which includes most of Bend—two candidates: Democrat Dr. Nathan Boddie, who's been embroiled in his own controvery, and Republican Cheri Helt.

La Bell got into the race after House Democrats withdrew their support for Boddie this summer—citing instances of "inappropriate behavior"—and after a local woman accused Boddie of groping her. Boddie did not withdraw from the race, so La Bell entered her bid to run on the Working Families ticket.

Top state Democrats—who originally backed Boddie—gave their backing to La Bell, until Tuesday, when reports surfaced that she falsified information on her voter's pamphlet.

"Before nominating Amanda, we subjected her to the full vetting process that all candidates receive before they are nominated," OWFP said in its release. "Unfortunately, she was not fully forthcoming in this process and neglected to share the information that was released to the public this week."

"We are sorry that Bend voters will no longer have an opportunity to vote for a State Representative who can effectively fight for issues impacting Oregon's working families," OWFP continued. "We are so grateful to the Bend residents who trusted us with this effort, and above all, we are unwavering in our commitment to fighting hand-in-hand with the community for a Bend that works for all of us." 

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