Harry Lonsdale

In 1990, Lonsdale announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican Senator Mark Hatfield for his seat in the U.S. Senate. Lonsdale's two main campaign themes were abortion rights (which Hatfield opposed) and timber management, in which Lonsdale opposed exporting timber from Oregon forests and wanted to restrict logging in old-growth forests.[4] Lonsdale also refused to take special-interest contributions in his campaign, instead financing the campaign himself.[4]

After winning the Democratic nomination, Lonsdale considered a longshot, began to close in on Hatfield as he attacked the Republican's record on abortion and the environment in numerous television ads. Hatfield, who had always relied on his stature as a statesman in campaigns, was forced to change his usual tactic of not engaging his opponent.[5] Hatfield turned the environment issue against Lonsdale, accusing him of hypocrisy by presenting allegations that Lonsdale had allowed his company to dispose of toxic waste into the environment.[6] The change of tactics stalled Lonsdale's momentum, and Hatfield would win the election handily, though this would be his last Senate campaign.[7]

In 1991, Lonsdale made plans for another Senate run at Oregon's other Senate seat, this one held by Bob Packwood. This time, he received a stronger challenge for the Democratic nomination, chiefly from U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin, who resigned his seat in Oregon's 1st congressional district to run for the Senate.[2] Lonsdale went after AuCoin, whom he accused of having been corrupted by PAC money over the years.[8][9] Lonsdale also criticized AuCoin's ties to the timber industry.[10] AuCoin turned accusations of undue influence back on Lonsdale, pointing out that Bend Research had received millions in federal defense contracts,[11] and noted Lonsdale's reversal of support for nuclear power and belated opposition to the re-opening of Trojan Nuclear Power Plant.[12] Lonsdale received surprising support from Packwood, who believed AuCoin to be a stronger competitor, and ran television ads against AuCoin.[13]

The results of the Democratic primary were so close that an automatic recount was triggered.[13] On June 18, over a month after the primary election, AuCoin was certified as having won by 330 votes.[14] Upon conceding the race, Lonsdale pondered mounting a write-in campaign, reiterating that Oregon needed an "outsider" in the Senate.[15][16] Lonsdale would receive fewer than 6,000 write-in votes in the general election, in which Packwood won re-election.[17]

Following Hatfield's retirement from the Senate in 1996, Lonsdale ran again in the 1996 primary, but lost to Mentor Graphics founder Tom Bruggere by a wide margin.[18]

Lonsdale did not seek office again, though he sponsored several petitions related to campaign finance reform through the early 2000s.[19] In 2006, one of his sponsored measures limiting campaign financing, Measure 47, passed, but did not go into effect because a companion measure (Measure 46) that would have amended the Oregon Constitution to allow limitations on campaign financing failed to pass.[20][21]