Eugene weekly., May 06, 2004, Page 12, Image 12

VOTE 2004
Endorsements 2004
May primary picks for national, state and local races
Below are EW’s endorsements for the May Primary. Not all races are discussed since many are uncontested in the primary, and we’ve given
focus and extra space to some of the races that we think are particularly important, or have not gotten much attention. Ballots are due at the
county elections department by May 18. It’s too late to register for this election, but if you are registered, please take the time to study these
important candidate choices — and vote!
John Kerry
U.S. President
John Kerry (D)
We listen to those activist Democrats
and respected friends of EW who urge us
to endorse Kucinich, not Kerry, in the
Oregon primary. But we can’t do it. The
defeat of George Bush is so critical to the
kids and grandkids of this country and,
indeed, the world, that a unity virtually
alien to Democrats is essential this time.
Kerry, with all his imperfections, has
fought for and secured the nomination. He
can only win the presidency if all of us
work harder than we’ve ever worked in
electoral politics to defeat the Republican
grassroots organization already growing in
Oregon and the rest of the country. That’s
what we endorse — the urgency and unity
it will take to defeat George Bush and
elect John Kerry.
Fred Granum appears to be the best quali-
fied candidate to oversee the auditing and
efficiency elements of the position.
Incumbent Bill Bradbury was an effec-
tive state lawmaker and consensus builder
and has served Oregon well as secretary of
state. Bradbury’s one of the stars of
Oregon politics and deserves re-election.
His Democratic opponent Paul Damien
Wells has no prior government experience
and little to offer in meeting the demands
of this important state job as head of elec-
tions, audits and record keeping. On the R
side, business executive and entrepreneur
12 MAY 6, 2004
the Oregon Citizens Alliance, an avowed
anti-gay organization. Kistler is perhaps
the only openly gay supreme court judge
in the country. Leuenberger is critical of
judicial power “subversion” and makes a
point of being a devout Christian and a
family man.
Judge, Supreme Court
Position 7
William Riggs
Again, we have a hardworking distin-
guished jurist, William Riggs, being chal-
lenged by a significantly less qualified
candidate, in this case, 6th District Circuit
Court Judge Rudy Murgo. There’s no rea-
son to bump Riggs out of office.
Judge, Court of Appeals
Position 7
Robert Wollheim
Robert Wollheim has served Oregon
well as a careful and compassionate judge
on the Court of Appeals since 1998. He
carries on well Oregon’s tradition of intel-
ligent, impartial judges. His challenger,
Phil Brockett, is an attorney and former
CIA officer who’s only been a member of
the Oregon Bar for the past two years.
House District 7
Lane County Commission,
Position 4
Shirley Cairns (D)
Greg Ringer
Republican Bruce Hannah was recently
appointed to fill the District 7 seat left
vacant when Jeff Kruse left to run for a
Senate position. Democrats need to pick a
strong candidate to run against Hannah in
the fall. Our choice is Shirley Cairns over
Greg Thorne. Cairns, with her 40 years of
civic involvement in Douglas County, is
likely to enjoy more name recognition in
November. Any Democrat who hopes to
win in this conservative district is going to
have to appeal to the middle ground, but
Thorne goes too far when he declares,
“Land use laws are a waste of tax dollars”
(LWV Voters’ Guide).
Any challenger for
county commission in
In
north Lane County faces
Focus
a very tough race, with
longtime incumbent Bobby
Green Sr. deeply established as a leader in
the area and on the Board of County
Commissioners.
But we have hope for newcomer Greg
Ringer, local community planner and uni-
versity educator with “20 years [experi-
ence] enabling local, regional and national
governments,” he says. Ringer is undaunt-
ed by the incumbent and feels north Lane
County may be ready for an alternative. “I
entered the county race for reasons both
personal and professional. … I did so
because the electoral process benefits from
a meaningful exchange of ideas and a
choice of candidates. I also desire to chal-
lenge those who made the term ‘progres-
sive’ a pejorative in our community, and
remind voters instead of the true meaning
of the word — to be farsighted and for-
ward thinking. A progressive leader con-
siders the needs of the entire county, rather
than select individuals and industries in
the decision-making process,” Ringer
says.
u
Paul Holvey
Judge, Supreme Court, 4
Secretary of State
Bill Bradbury (D),
Fred Granum (R)
with the lively debate that could have hap-
pened in Council Ward 8. Colbath’s bow-
ing out of the Democratic Party to become
more “non-partisan” in a council race
backfired when it prevented her from
seeking the District 8 appointment after
Floyd Prozanski moved to the Senate.
Now she is seeking to unseat a proven and
progressive Democrat.
Paul Holvey was appointed to the posi-
tion in January, is performing very well by
all reports we hear, and has been named to
the important House Business and
Commerce Committee. Holvey is knowl-
edgeable, active and effective on issues of
labor, business, education and the environ-
ment. He’s advocated for living wage and
labor standards, along with full disclosure
and accountability for businesses getting
tax breaks. He knows forestry issues,
appreciates the folly in unsustainable
sprawl and supports “green” building. In
short, there’s no good reason to give
Holvey the boot.
The third D running for District 8 is
Hart Williams, who somehow got left out
of the Voters’ Pamphlet. Williams is solid
on land use, tax reform and government
accountability, but has not mounted an
aggressive campaign.
Rives Kistler
House District 8
Paul Holvey (D)
We’ve always liked Mitzi Colbath’s
high energy, determination and ability to
get things done on the community level.
We encouraged her to run for the open
City Council position being vacated by
Nancy Nathanson. We think she could
have been a strong contender against Chris
Pryor. But now Pryor is running unop-
posed and an opportunity to gain a pro-
gressive vote on the council is lost, along
Incumbent Judge Rives Kistler is being
challenged
by
attorney
James
Leuenberger, and it’s really no contest.
Kistler has impeccable academic creden-
tials and a strong record of dedicated serv-
ice on the Supreme Court as well as the
Court of Appeals and the state Department
of Justice. Leuenberger, a recent transplant
from Idaho, has little experience on the
bench and it’s obvious he’s running on an
ultra-conservative agenda. Leuenberger
has been associated with Lon Mabon and