PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Members of the state's Pacific Green Party will meet this weekend to weigh an endorsement of Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate who is making a repeat run at the presidency.

Nader, who has loudly rejected claims by Democrats that he is responsible for drawing enough votes to cost Al Gore the presidency in 2000, has faced difficulty qualifying for the ballot as an independent in several states, including Oregon.

Nationally, if Nader were to receive the Green Party's endorsement, he could qualify for 16 state ballots, including Oregon's.

But another candidate has been drawing national interest from party members. The Green Party candidate with the most pledged delegates is David Cobb, a veteran party activist who ran for Texas attorney general in 2002.

Blair Bobier, a Pacific Green activist who is Cobb's media coordinator, said Cobb has recognized the perception that the Greens could play a spoiler role in the election by pledging to concentrate his effort in states where the race between President Bush and Democrat John Kerry is not close.

As many as 200 Pacific Green Party members are expected to attend the Oregon convention over the weekend, said Jeff Cropp, the convention coordinator. In addition, the party is accepting absentee ballots from party members; it has received about 50 so far, he said. The party has about 14,000 voters in Oregon.

The Oregon convention is open to voters who have been registered in the Pacific Green Party no later than April 28.

Nineteen delegates will be chosen to attend the national Green Party convention later this month in Milwaukee.