Rep. AuCoin Holds Slim Lead in Oregon Primary; Recount Likely

A recount appeared likely as Rep. Les AuCoin, hurt by his involvement in the House check-writing scandal, clung to a tiny lead Wednesday over businessman Harry Lonsdale in Oregon’s Democratic Senate primary.

AuCoin and Lonsdale are vying for the nomination to run against Republican Sen. Bob Packwood, who many political analysts view as vulnerable in November’s election.

With 99% of precincts reporting from Tuesday’s primary, AuCoin had 142,521 votes to Lonsdale’s 142,309, for a lead of 212 votes.

Counties have until Friday to finish counting absentee ballots. If the difference is less than one-fifth of 1% of the total votes cast in the race--or about 670 votes--a recount is required by state law. That has to be completed within 30 days.

The close outcome capped a troubled campaign for AuCoin, who had started as the front-runner but was damaged by disclosures that he wrote 83 bad checks on the House bank totaling more than $60,000.

AuCoin, first elected to the House in 1974, apologized for the overdrafts. But Lonsdale seized on the issue, calling AuCoin a congressional insider beholden to special interests.

AuCoin spokesman Rick Gureghian attributed the close outcome largely to Lonsdale’s use of the checks as an issue.

Lonsdale said Wednesday that he was resigned to waiting a while longer to find out if his strategy worked against AuCoin.

“It’s essentially a flat-footed tie, and we have tens of thousands of absentee votes to count yet. We probably won’t know the outcome until Friday,” he said. “I’m going to go . . . fishing tomorrow.”

Packwood, a four-term incumbent, rolled over four opponents to win the GOP nomination Tuesday. With 96% of precincts reporting, he had 60% to 21% for his closest rival, lawyer John DeZell, who attacked Packwood for supporting abortion rights.