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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
Richardson to become secretary of state
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
Republican Dennis Richard-
son beat Democrat Brad Avakian to
become the next secretary of state.
It was the first GOP win in a state-
wide race since then-U.S. Sen. Gor-
don Smith was re-elected in 2002.
The GOP hasn’t won the governor’s
office since 1982. The last Repub-
lican secretary of state was Norma
Paulus, who held the position in the
1980s.
Tuesday night, Richardson gave
an optimistic speech at a gathering
of the Oregon Republican Party in
Salem.
“It’s a new beginning,” Richard-
son said. “It’s a new Oregon.”
Richardson maintained that he
wanted to run the office in a nonpar-
tisan fashion. He also said he wanted
to help businesses to come to Ore-
gon, review the office’s elections
division and make the state more
accountable and transparent.
The contest for the state’s
top auditor and elections official
became heated between Richardson
and his Democratic opponent, Brad
Avakian.
The last Republican secretary
of state in Oregon was Norma Pau-
lus, who served two terms ending in
January 1985. Tony Meeker, who
was elected treasurer, was the last
Republican to hold a statewide state
office. His term expired in 1993.
The mood was ebullient at the
Republican Party’s election night
party, where Chair Bill Currier
addressed the crowd, saying, “You
are part of a growing movement.”
Richardson, a former state leg-
islator who ran against former Gov.
John Kitzhaber in 2014, served six
Pamplin Media Group
Dennis Richardson addresses the crowd during the Republican election night party.
terms as a state representative from
Central Point.
Avakian, in a statement shortly
before 11 p.m., congratulated Rich-
ardson on his win and called the
campaign “hard-fought.”
“I’m proud that we’ve run a sub-
stantive, issue-oriented campaign,
and I want to thank the many vol-
unteers and supporters who have
helped us along the way,” Avakian
said.
Avakian, the state’s labor com-
missioner, entered the state Legis-
lature the same year as Richardson
— 2003.
Avakian was appointed the non-
partisan head of the state’s Bureau
of Labor and Industries in 2008.
Backed by a diverse coalition,
Avakian attacked Richardson’s con-
servative record on abortion, gay
marriage and immigration.
The labor commissioner also crit-
icized Richardson’s support while in
the legislature for stricter voter iden-
tification measures.
Richardson, meanwhile, criti-
cized what he and others character-
ized as Avakian’s over-broad inter-
pretation of the office of secretary
of state.
Brown wins governor; Wyden,
Bonamici return to Congress
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
PORTLAND — A Republican
won the first statewide election
in Oregon since 2002, with a vic-
tory in the race for the state’s sec-
ond-highest office.
Democratic Gov. Kate Brown
defeated Republican opponent Bud
Pierce on Tuesday, but Republican
Dennis Richardson beat Democrat
Brad Avakian to become the next
secretary of state.
Richardson will be first in line
to succeed the governor and is the
auditor of public accounts, the chief
elections officer, and the adminis-
trator of public records.
In a recent telephone interview
with The Associated Press, Rich-
ardson said he would not let his
conservative values play a role in
his duties if he won.
Richardson said being chief
auditor of the state would be the
most important task.
Richardson said there should
have been audits of state projects
that misspent taxpayer money, like
the Columbia River Crossing to
build a new bridge. Almost $200
million was spent before it was
abandoned without even a “shovel-
ful of dirt dug,” he said.
It was the first GOP win in a
statewide race since then-U.S.
Sen. Gordon Smith was re-elected
in 2002. The GOP hasn’t won the
governor’s office since 1982. The
last Republican secretary of state
was Norma Paulus, who held the
position in the 1980s.
In the most closely watched
statewide ballot measure, Orego-
nians rejected a measure that would
have taxed companies’ sales of
more than $25 million, with many
voters worrying that it would hit
their own wallets.
Measure 97 “fell of its own
weight when people understood
what it would do,” Pat McCormick,
a spokesman for the campaign to
defeat the tax, said, according to
AP Photo/Steve Dykes
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., addresses the crowd of supporters at the Ore-
gon Convention Center after winning re-election in Portland on Tuesday.
Suzanne Bonamici
The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Ben Unger, a main backer of
Measure 97, conceded defeat Tues-
day evening in a message to the
media and supporters, saying that
“big, out-of-state corporations had
to shatter campaign finance records
to beat us.”
Tens of millions of dollars were
thrown into the battle over Mea-
sure 97 by both sides, with the “no”
campaign largely funded by mostly
out-of-state corporations.
Opponents and even the Legisla-
tive Revenue Office say every Ore-
gonian would have been affected.
In other races:
• Ellen Rosenblum held onto her
seat as attorney general, defeating
Republican challenger Daniel Zene
Crowe.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden hand-
ily defeated Republican challenger
Mark Callahan to retain his seat.
Oregon’s sole Republican in Con-
gress, Greg Walden, beat Demo-
cratic challenger Jim Crary in his
district.
• Democratic U.S. Reps.
Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer,
Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt
Schrader were also keeping their
seats in Congress.
Brown’s victory keeps her in
the governor’s job for another two
years. She will be finishing the last
two years of the term of Gov. John
Kitzhaber, who quit in February
2015 because of an influence-ped-
dling scandal swirling around him
and his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes.
Brown, the nation’s first bisex-
ual governor, took over for
Kitzhaber because as secretary of
state she was next in line.
There will be another guberna-
torial election in 2018.
Avakian sought to promote civ-
ics education in public schools, audit
government agencies to see whether
women and men were being paid
equally for equal work, and advo-
cate for renewable energy projects
on state land.
As the state’s top auditor, Rich-
ardson could potentially confront the
details of some of the state’s most
recent major failures — such as the
state’s health insurance exchange,
the troubled foster care system and
the Columbia River Crossing.
Richardson said Tuesday eve-
ning, prior to closure of Oregon bal-
lot drop locations, that he would pri-
oritize audits of the state’s schools
and foster care system.
Currier, chair of the Oregon
Republican Party, said in remarks at
a party gathering in Salem that the
performance of Republican candi-
dates in three statewide elections —
for governor, secretary of state and
treasurer — represented the growing
strength and popularity of the party
regardless of who won.
“America’s experiencing some-
thing called corruption fatigue, and
we’re doing something about it,”
Currier said.
He later said that the state’s
Republican candidates have focused
on “transparency, accountability and
integrity.”
Kevin Mannix, a former state
legislator, gubernatorial candidate
and former chair of the Oregon
Republican Party, said before any
races were called Tuesday evening
that while he was “anxious” about
this year’s election, that in future
years, he felt that “quiet” Trump
supporters in Oregon might start to
vote Republican further down the
ballot in greater numbers.
“They’re going to have to find
ways to work with us,” said Rep.
Julie Parrish, R-Tualatin/West Linn,
of Democratic legislators.
Three other candidates sought
office, but came out behind — Alan
Zundel of the Pacific Green Party,
Sharon Durbin of the Libertarian
Party and Michael Marsh of the
Consitutional Party.
Current Secretary of State Jeanne
Atkins was appointed to the post in
2015 once her predecessor, Kate
Brown, ascended to the governor-
ship after Kitzhaber’s resignation.
She did not seek election.
Ogilvie, McCarthy win in
Cannon Beach council race
addition to City Council.”
McCarthy, a 10-year perma-
nent resident, is a former editor
and reporter for the Cannon Beach
CANNON BEACH — Cannon
Gazette and The Daily Astorian.
Beach council candidates have run
While running, she advocated
unopposed since 2010. This year,
voters were given a choice. Three
for affordable housing and main-
candidates — Brandon Ogilvie,
taining Cannon Beach’s village
Nancy McCarthy and Herb Florer
atmosphere through balancing the
— vied for two open seats.
needs of year-round residents with
Ogilvie had the most votes
the tourism industry.
Tuesday after ballots were counted,
McCarthy said she plans to
with McCarthy coming in second
address affordable housing, emer-
and Florer coming in third.
gency planning, short-term rentals
“I’d like to thank the folks that
and how lodging taxes are used.
voted for me,” Ogilvie
McCarthy said she
said. “I look forward to
was impressed by how
getting down to the busi-
Tillamook
County
ness of helping Cannon
responded to the Manza-
Beach.”
nita tornado.
Ogilvie said he was
“I’d like to see us
“very happy” to see the
look at that and do some-
results. He thanked the
thing in a similar way,”
other candidates and
she said. “We are well
said he looks forward to
prepared but we just
serving with McCarthy.
need to continue to do
When he takes office, Brandon Ogilvie more.”
he said he hopes to work
McCarthy said the
with the other city coun-
race was “low-key.”
cilors and listen to what
“There wasn’t a
citizens have to say.
whole lot of campaign-
“I’m more than happy
ing done by anyone,” she
to listen to what they’re
said. “The candidates
concerned about,” Ogil-
forum really brought out
vie said, adding that he
what our positions were
was glad to hear about
on the subjects.”
the approval of the Sea-
Ogilvie said the can-
side School District bond
didates forum was the
measure to move schools Nancy McCarthy highlight of the race.
out of the tsunami zone.
“We all came together
A 24-year resident, Ogilvie is
and I think it gave people that were
a carpentry contractor and afford-
there a chance to see what we were
able housing task force member
representing,” Ogilvie said.
who previously served as Planning
Florer, a 12-year-resident, is
Commission chair. He has said his
an emergency preparedness com-
career helps him understand cer-
mittee member and former Port
tain land use issues and he consid-
of Astoria deputy director, bud-
ers civic participation important.
get committee member and plan-
“I guess I’m going to be a City
ning commissioner. During the
Councilor,” McCarthy said. “I
campaign, he emphasized the
think the other two candidates are
importance of emergency prepa-
both great people. I think we all
ration, long-term resiliency and
pretty much agreed on the things
infrastructure.
that needed to be done here in
The elected candidates will join
Cannon Beach. I’m going to be
Mayor Sam Steidel, Councilor
pleased to serve with Brandon and
Mike Benefield and Councilor
I think he will make a wonderful
George Vetter in January.
By LYRA FONTAINE
The Daily Astorian
Read is likely to become the next Oregon Treasurer
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Tobias Read, the
Democratic candidate for state trea-
surer, appeared to narrowly win the
three-way contest for the state’s top
financial steward Tuesday.
Read, Speaker Pro Tem of the
Oregon House and a state repre-
sentative since 2006, said along
the campaign trail that he would
bring the state’s investments back
“in-house” instead of outsourc-
ing them to investment firms out of
state; expand access to the state’s
college savings plan; and make
publicly accessible the reason-
ing behind the state’s investment
decisions.
He also emphasized infrastruc-
ture and said he’d “re-focus” the
state on such investments.
Jeff Gudman, the Republi-
can candidate and a Lake Oswego
city councilor, touted his invest-
ing expertise and experience as
treasurer for the Legacy Eman-
uel Hospital Foundation
9 percent of the vote,
and USA Swimming, the
according to the Oregon
sport’s governing body.
Secretary of State’s elec-
He also supported bring-
tion results website.
ing investing strategies
She
presented
a
back in-house and said he
detailed plan for the state’s
would look at the state’s
public employee retire-
thrice-failed “Investment
ment system (referred to
Modernization Act” with
as PERS) and cited her
fresh eyes.
experience as a state legis-
Chris Telfer, an Inde-
lator and accountant.
Tobias Read
pendent candidate from
Libertarian candidate
Bend and one of the state’s lot-
Chris Henry also ran for the office,
tery commissioners, received about
garnering approximately four per-
cent of the vote.
The state’s public employee
retirement system faces a $22 bil-
lion unfunded liability, a crisis that
lawmakers intend to address during
the upcoming legislative session.
The treasury oversees the state’s
investments and generally acts
as the state’s provider of banking
services.
The office also administers the
state’s college savings plan and a
new retirement savings plan that
will go into effect next July.