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Columbia Gorge News
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
13
Fagan, Thatcher vie for Oregon Secretary of State
■ By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
The top two candidates for
Secretary of State said Oct. 12
they did not want to use that
office as a stepping stone to
running for governor in 2022
and questioned each other’s
independence from influ-
ence by their political parties.
Sen. Shemia Fagan,
D-Portland, and Sen. Kim
Thatcher, R-Keizer, are facing
off in the Nov. 3 election for
the only statewide office
without an incumbent on
the ballot. It’s only executive
office held by a Republican in
a state where Democrats also
have a super-majority in the
Legislature.
Thatcher and Fagan ap-
peared Monday in an online
virtual forum hosted by EO
Media Group and Pamplin
Media Group, which com-
bined operate 39 newspapers
and two magazines through-
out Oregon. The moderator
was Gerry O’Brien, editor of
The Bulletin, an EO Media
newspaper in Bend. A video
recording of the forum can
be found at facebook.com/
bendbulletin.
Oregon is one of five
states that does not have
a lieutenant governor. The
Secretary of State becomes
governor if the incumbent
dies or leaves office. Gov.
Kate Brown was Secretary
of State in 2015 when
Gov. John Kitzhaber re-
signed amid allegations of
influence-peddling.
Thatcher promised to carry
on the legacy of Secretary of
State Dennis Richardson, the
State Senator Shemia Fagan, D-Portland, at left, campaigns with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon,
meeting with supporters on the grass at Thompson Track, a former school athletic track in The Dalles,
on Wednesday night, Oct. 14. Fagan, a graduate of Wahtonka High School in The Dalles, is running for
Oregon Secretary of State against Oregon Senator Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer.
Mark B. Gibson photo
Republican elected to the
office in 2016. Richardson
announced in June 2018
that he had been diagnosed
with a brain tumor. He died
in February 2019. Under
Oregon law, Gov. Brown
was required to name a
Republican to fill out the
remainder of Richardson’s
term. She appointed former
House Speaker Bev Clarno
of Redmond, a Republican,
with the implicit agreement
that Clarno would not run for
the office this year.
Thatcher said that if
Richardson were alive,
he would be “sailing to
re-election.”
“Voters crossed party lines
of alley at 114 S. Columbia;
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Continued from page 1 Wishram Park
BALLOTS
the high interest in this elec-
tion,” Wasco County Clerk
Lisa Gambee said in an email
on Friday afternoon. “We’re
already getting ballots back
from the main mailing two
days ago which is quicker
than previous years.”
Ballot requirements
because we
need checks
and balanc-
es in our
government,”
Thatcher
said, adding
later, “it’s a
little easier
when you’re
not part of
its endorsement to both
Democrats and Republicans
in state races.
Fagan said it is up to voters
to decide who is Secretary of
State.
“I don’t think any political
party is owed a position,” she
Sen. Kim
said.
Thatcher
Fagan promised to be an
independent advocate for all
Oregonians.
‘the club.’”
“Ultimately, it’s what your
Thatcher also touted
values are,” not the political
her endorsement by the
party label, she said.
Independent Party. Though
While the forum was gen-
it accounts for just under
125,000 of the state’s nearly
erally cordial, each candidate
2.87 million registered voters, took shots at the other.
it is recognized as the state’s
Thatcher questioned
official third major party.
Fagan’s independence,
In 2020, the party has given
saying she was “beholding”
ballot to you before request-
ing a replacement. Election
offices offer curbside service,
where you can make an ap-
pointment and pull up to our
front curb and staff will bring
necessary paperwork to you.
Replacement ballots may be
requested right up to 8 p.m.
on Election Day.
including 12 general election
ballots belonging to Hood
River residents living on
Eugene Street, Hazel Street,
and Lovers Lane.
The ballots were returned
to the Elections Office and
all of the voters have been
mailed replacement ballots
on Oct. 19, deputy clerk
Darlene Johnson reported
late Monday afternoon. If
you have not received your
ballot, contact the Hood
River Elections Office at
541-386-1442.
to Brown and other top
Democrats. The Secretary of
State needs to be “a watchdog
in state government, not a
lapdog.”
Thatcher said large
donations from unions and
Democratic Party groups
would undercut Fagan’s
independence.
Fagan has raised just
under $1.8 million, while
Thatcher has raised just
over $576,000. Fagan spent
heavily to win a close May
primary, beating Sen. Mark
Hass, D-Beaverton by just
4,400 votes out of more than
587,000 cast. Former 2nd
Congressional District candi-
date Jamie McLeod-Skinner
of Terrebonne finished a dis-
tant third. Thatcher received
85 percent of the vote in the
Republican primary.
Fagan criticized Thatcher
for being part of Senate
Republicans’ walk-outs to
deny a quorum to vote on a
carbon cap-and-trade bill
that Democrats said they had
enough votes to pass.
Fagan also hit Thatcher for
refusing to say whether she
will vote for President Donald
Trump’s re-election. Thatcher
was a delegate from Oregon
to the 2016 Republican
National Convention. She
had supported Sen. Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, early in the election
season, but ended up casting
her delegate vote for Trump.
She was quoted in the
Portland Tribune as saying,
“I can honestly say I feel less
uncomfortable with Trump.”
Fagan accused Thatcher of
being a candidate “propped
up by extreme right-wing
groups.”
“The bottom line is she is
signaling one thing to her
base and something else to
the rest of us,” Fagan said.
There were some areas of
broad agreement. Fagan said
she had “no plans” to run for
governor in 2022. Thatcher
said that if elected, she
would serve four years and
likely run for re-election as
Secretary of State.
Each said they would
aggressively pursue audits
of government agencies and
programs. Thatcher said she
would “shine a light” on parts
of government that were not
working for residents. Fagan
singled out the unemploy-
ment system. She said audits
were done before and part
of her audit would be why
the earlier audits were not
implemented.
Both generally support
Oregon’s vote-by-mail system
and creating a commission
to decide legislative district
lines for reapportionment.
Both want a more indepen-
dent public records advocate.
The Secretary of State’s
Audits Division investigates
and issues reports on public
spending by state govern-
ment. The Elections Division
has oversight of elections,
including candidate filings,
campaign finance records
and ballot measures. The
Corporate Division handles
business filings. The Archives
Division maintains the state
government’s records.
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Key points to remember
about voting by mail:
• Filling out a ballot is sim-
Stolen ballots found
ple but it needs to be done
Over the weekend, the
according to instructions
Oregon State Police recov-
provided.
ered pieces of stolen mail,
Fully fill in the oval next
to your candidate or ballot
choice; don’t use a
Mail it or hand-deliver measure
check mark or X.
“We understand voters
• Put your ballot in the
have concerns about the
inner sleeve, and place the
recent news regarding the
sleeve inside the return
United State Postal System,” envelope.
Johnson said. “We have been
• Seal the ballot envelope,
communicating closely with which is prepaid.
our partners at the USPS and
• Sign the envelope. Sign
they continue to support
only your own name.
our elections and go above
“Representing the people of Central Washington
Remember that a ballot
and beyond to make sure
means supporting our community members and
can be invalidated, or subject
that ballots travel efficient-
bringing common sense Conservative values to
to delayed tabulation, if the
ly through the mail. They
ballot is incorrectly marked,
Olympia.
It has been an honor to serve our district
have told us that no delay
or the signature is incom-
and
I
ask
for your vote this November to continue
is expected in mail delivery
plete or does not match the
working on policies that protect our Constitutional
during this election. Oregon voter registration on record
has been doing voting suc-
freedoms and minimize burdens on hard-working
at your county.
cessfully by mail for 20 years
families and businesses.”
and we expect continued
- Representative Chris Corry
Ballot tracking,
success this year.”
Secure ballot drop sites:
follow-up
Wasco County — Maupin
Wasco County elections
Civic Center, County
office: 541-506-2530
Courthouse, Fifth Street.
Klickitat County elections
Hood River County —
office: 509-773-4001
Administrative Building,
Hood River County elec-
Sixth and State; Cascade
tions office: 541-386-1442
Locks City Hall
Track your ballot at the
Klickitat County —
Secretary of State website
Bickleton, E. Market and S.
Oregonvotes.gov by going to
Madison streets; Bingen City the My Vote link at secure.
Hall; Dallesport Community sos.state.or.us/orestar.
Center; Glenwood, 209 E.
Give the Postal Service at
Main; Goldendale, north
least one week to get your
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