State Sen. Alan Bates (D) announced late last week he is seriously considering entering the Democratic Senate primary for the right to challenge Sen. Gordon Smith (R) in 2008, the Mail Tribune newspaper reported.

After Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D) and Peter DeFazio (D) declined to throw their hats into the ring, Democrats are still looking for a high-profile candidate to take on Smith. But neither Bates nor attorney and party activist Steve Novick (D) — who already has declared his candidacy — are described as fitting the bill.

Bates is a physician and Vietnam veteran from the Southern Oregon community of Ashland.

“I would be a dark-horse candidate,” Bates acknowledged.
— David M. Drucker