Johnson markets herself as the “Goldilocks” alternative to the “extremes,' insisting she’s beholden “only to Oregonians” and not to ”special interests.” It’s an attractive pitch. But in Johnson’s case, it bears little relation to reality.
on Facebook that she’s kept in touch with Johnson and that they spoke this summer when Johnson was seeking Timber Unity’s endorsement.
Pressed on the contradiction of denouncing special interests while being dependent on them for her political fate, Johnson deflected, insisting that her corporate donors are just great citizens. “If people who love Oregon are a ‘special interest’ then we’re more screwed up than it seems,” she says. Knight did not respond to an interview request. But this is not his first attempt to, in effect, buy the governorship in a state that has no individual contribution limits. In 2018, Knight gave at leastto the GOP nominee and steered another $1 million to the Republican Governors Association — only to see his favored candidate fall by eight points.