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Oregon GOP: 'Appalled' and 'offended' at McLeod-Skinner comment, candidate apologizes


KATU's Congressional District 5 Debate - KATU photo
KATU's Congressional District 5 Debate - KATU photo
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The leader of Oregon’s Republican Party says he's "appalled" and "offended" by a statement made in KATU's Congressional District 5 debate.

Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner said, "I've been quite stunned tonight to hear the white-washing of a record, track-record, of my opponent."

Republican Lori Chavez-Deremer replied "I take offense to the white-washing terminology considering I am Hispanic but I'll let that one slide. And I find it really unfortunate that you used that."

Oregon GOP Chairman Justin Hwang called the statement by McLeod-Skinner "racially offensive" and "reckless."

Hwang added, McLeod-Skinner "has demonstrated to our community she doesn’t have what it takes to represent all Oregonians in Congress. She should immediately apologize, and reflect on the implications of her ignorant comments."

We reached out to McLeod-Skinner's campaign today, and received this statement:

"It was a poor choice of words and I apologize for any offense caused as "scrubbed" would have been a better way to describe Lori Chavez-Deremer’s efforts to delete her extremist views from her platform, including banning abortion before a woman knows she is pregnant, defending January 6th insurrectionists, as well as eliminating Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans’ healthcare."

Here is the complete statement from the Oregon Republican Party:

“As the first Asian-American Republican Party chairman in Oregon history, I am appalled and offended at the racially offensive language used by congressional candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner towards Lori Chavez-DeRemer during last night’s KATU debate,” said Chairman Justin Hwang. “Her language is reckless, and when confronted with her divisive rhetoric, she laughed. She has demonstrated to our community she doesn’t have what it takes to represent all Oregonians in Congress. She should immediately apologize, and reflect on the implications of her ignorant comments. We deserve more from those seeking to lead.”

If you missed the debate, you can watch it right now in its entirety here on KATU's website.



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