My son went on a pre-school field trip to our neighborhood grocery store where our family shops. Even though he is now in second grade, we are regularly reminded when we stop by the bakery for a free cookie or grab yogurt from the refrigerated section that he’s been “back there” behind the scenes. Inspired by my son’s excitement, I decided to give you a quick “behind the scenes tour” of our political office. Presidential candidates aren’t the only ones who are already working toward November 2012.

Right now, our whole political team, including Colm Willis, Karen Minnis, and our Oregon Right to Life PAC Board, is laying the groundwork for our Pro-Life Voter’s Guide.

Before we ever contact a candidate we do quite a bit of research. It is important for us to update the statistics of each legislative and congressional district, such as voter registration information and past election results. The 2010 census also requires that we go through our list of pro-life voters and reassign each household to the correct district. I am so thankful for our database wizards because we have more than 200,000 households on our lists!

The statistics only tell part of the story. Each district has a unique set of circumstances that must be evaluated. These include whether the incumbent is running for reelection, determining the key issues for that area, and discerning what other interest groups think about the race. We are always actively looking for pro-life individuals to run for office now or in the future.

Along with this research, our PAC Board reviews the questionnaire that we require every candidate who seeks our endorsement to complete. Over the years, we have added some questions and eliminated others to help us gain an understanding of a candidate’s positions and commitment.

The next phase in the process begins as candidates begin to file to run for office. As individuals file for office, we contact them based upon criteria the board has established. If they meet the criteria, we contact them with information about Oregon Right to Life PAC, including how to proceed if they would like an endorsement. Currently, we are focusing on statewide, congressional, Oregon Senate and Oregon House candidates.

This work will continue through the end of the year, when the board begins to interview candidates and make endorsement decisions. From the beginning to final primary endorsements, the process takes about eight months.

Your vote is valuable and your trust is priceless. I hope that this short behind the scenes tour gives you confidence that our endorsements and information are trustworthy. There is much more of our office activity to tour, but we’ll have to save that for another time.