Oregon Citizens Alliance

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The Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) is a conservative Christian political activist organization, founded by Lon Mabon.

The group gained statewide, national, and international attention in 1992, when it proposed Ballot Measure 9. This initiative would have amended the Oregon Constitutionto prevent what the OCA called "special rights" for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. According to many civil rights activists, it would have gone further, mandating state discrimination against sexual minorities.

The ballot measure was defeated by voters in the 1992 General Election.

[edit] 1996 Senate race

In 1996, the OCA endorsed Gordon Smith over Ron Wyden in the race to succeed disgraced US Senator Bob Packwood. Smith, a Republican running in a progressive state, attempted to dodge controversy by neither embracing nor rejecting the right wing organization's endorsement.

When Smith made a second run for the Senate a few months later, OCA founder Lon Mabon ran against him. The Oregonian (a statewide newspaper) cited Mabon's candidacy as a key component of Smith's attempt in that second race to establish himself as a centrist, leading to his defeat of Democrat Tom Bruggere.^[1]