Before we endorse state Sen. Mark Hass as Oregon Secretary of State — and we will — let us first talk about what the three Democratic candidates have in common.
Hass, of Beaverton, state Sen. Shemia Fagan of Happy Valley and Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Terrebonne all would fight for expanding voter participation; for beefed-up election security; for robust audits. All would apply an equity lens to the office. All would be in a position, post the COVID-19 pandemic, to look back at how well or how poorly Oregon responded to the worldwide crisis.
kAmx7 E9@D6 2C6 E96 :DDF6D E92E 5C:G6 G@E6CD :? E9:D C246[ E96? 2 G@E6 7@C w2DD[ u282? @C |4{6@5\$<:??6C H@F=5 36 H2CC2?E65] p?5 :?5665[ 2== E9C66 2C6 :>AC6DD:G6]k^Am
kAmqFE :7 E96 =2DE 564256 92D E2F89E FD 2?JE9:?8[ :EVD E92E E96 ~C68@? $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6VD ~77:46 :D[ 56 724E@[ E96 96:C AC6DF>AE:G6 @7 E96 8@G6C?@CD9:A] (96? v@G] y@9? z:EK9236C H2D 7@C465 E@ DE6A 5@H? 2>:5 D42?52=[ $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 z2E6 qC@H? C646:G65 E96 ?@5 E@ >@G6 FA] ~C68@? :D @?6 @7 7:G6 DE2E6D H:E9@FE 2 =:6FE6?2?E 8@G6C?@C] ~7 E96 `a D64C6E2C:6D @7 DE2E6 8@:?8 324< E@ |2C< w2E7:6=5 >@C6 E92? e_ J62CD 28@[ 7@FC 92G6 364@>6 8@G6C?@C W2?5 7@FC >@C6 C2? 7@C 8@G6C?@CX]k^Am
kAmx? A2DE $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 C246D[ H6 =:<6=J 82G6 D9@CE D9C:7E E@ E96 :DDF6 @7 A@E6?E:2= 23:=:EJ E@ D6CG6 2D 8@G6C?@C]k^Am
kAm}@ =@?86C]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 E9C66 s6>@4C2ED CF??:?8[ |2C< w2DD :D 36DE DF:E65 E@ >2<6 E96 ;F>A E@ 8@G6C?@C[ :7 ?665 36]k^Am
kAmWp?5 :7 y@6 q:56? H:?D E96 AC6D:56?E:2= C246 E9:D }@G6>36C[ H@F=5 qC@H? 36 2? 2EEC24E:G6 ?@>:?66 7@C 2?J ?F>36C @7 r23:?6E @77:46Dn ~7 4@FCD6 D96 H@F=5[ >2<:?8 E9:D 7246E @7 E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 C246 72C >@C6 E92? >6C6=J 24256>:4]Xk^Am
kAmw2DD[ ec[ H2D 2 %' ?6HD C6A@CE6C 7@C EH@ 564256D F?E:= 96 H2D 6=64E65 E@ E96 w@FD6 :? a___ 2?5[ 27E6C 2 3C:67 3C62<[ 2AA@:?E65 E@ E96 $6?2E6 :? a__f]k^Am
kAmw6 92D D2E @? E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 E2I 4@>>:EE66D 5FC:?8 9:D E6?FC6[ H9:49 4@G6C65 E96 C646DD:@?D @7 a__a 2?5 a__f\`_[ 2?5 92D =65 E96 $6?2E6 u:?2?46 2?5 #6G6?F6 r@>>:EE66 D:?46 a_`d] w6 A=2J65 2 =6256CD9:A C@=6 :? E96 4C62E:@? @7 ~C68@?VD EH@ >2:? C6D6CG6 7F?5D[ H9:49 ?@H E@E2= ;FDE F?56C Sb 3:==:@?]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ H2D 2 =625:?8 25G@42E6 @7 7F==\52J <:?56C82CE6? :? E96 DE2E6 2?5 E96 ~C68@? !C@>:D6 7@C 2=>@DE\7C66 4@>>F?:EJ 4@==686 7@C 9:89 D49@@= 8C25F2E6D — 3@E9 H6C6 7F?565 :? a_`e — 2D H6== 2D E96 $EF56?E $F446DD p4E =2DE J62C] %96 =2EE6C :D E:65 E@ 2 ?6H 4@CA@C2E6 24E:G:EJ E2I[ AC@4665D 7C@> H9:49 8@ :?E@ 2? 62C>2C<65 7F?5 7@C D49@@= :>AC@G6>6?E AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ H2D 2 49:67 DA@?D@C @7 2 AC@A@D65 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?E[ DF3;64E E@ G@E6C 2AAC@G2= }@G] b[ E@ 2==@H C68F=2E:@? @7 42>A2:8? 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 2?5 DA6?5:?8 2D 2? 6I46AE:@? E@ ~C68@?VD 7C66\6IAC6DD:@? 8F2C2?E66]k^Am
kAmw6 92D 366? 6?5@CD65 3J EH@ 7@C>6C D64C6E2C:6D @7 DE2E6[ !9:= z6:D=:?8 2?5 q:== qC253FCJ]k^Am
kAm(6 2=D@ H2?E E@ E2=< 23@FE A2CEJ :?56A6?56?46 — 36:?8 2 =6256C :? E96 A2CEJ D@>6E:>6D >62?D 3F4<:?8 E96 A2CEJ]k^Am
kAmx? a_`h[ E96 {68:D=2EFC6 G@E65 @? 2 3:== E@ C65F46 E96 67764ED @7 32==@@?:?8 563E 7C@> E96 DE2E6VD A6?D:@? 7F?5[ <?@H? 2D E96 !F3=:4 t>A=@J66D #6E:C6>6?E $JDE6>[ @C !t#$] p=>@DE 6G6CJ@?6 2E E96 E:>6 28C665 E92E E96 3:== H@F=5 D:>A=J ?:33=6 2C@F?5 E96 6586D @7 E92E 563E] }@?6E96=6DD[ F?:@?D >256 :E H6== <?@H? E92E s6>@4C2ED G@E:?8 :? 72G@C H@F=5 36 AF?:D965]k^Am
kAmw2DD G@E65 :? 72G@C]k^Am
kAm$6?] u282? G@E65 282:?DE]k^Am
kAmyF>A\4FE E@ a_`h[ H96? E96 F?:@?D C2==:65 369:?5 $E2E6 #6A] y6??:76C (:==:2>D@? :? 96C 3:5 E@ 36 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6] (96? (:==:2>D@? 5C@AA65 @FE @7 E96 C246 F?6IA64E65=J[ u282? ;F>A65 :? H:E9 =6DD E92? EH@ H66<D E@ 8@ 367@C6 E96 5625=:?6[ 42E2AF=E65 3J E96 7F==\E9C@2E65 DFAA@CE @7 E9@D6 D2>6 AF3=:4 6>A=@J66 F?:@?D]k^Am
kAmw2DD 92D H2?E65 E@ 36 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 7@C J62CD] w6 <?6H E92E G@E:?8 QJ6DQ :? a_`h H@F=5 9FCE 9:> H:E9 2 A@H6C7F= s6>@4C2E:4 7@C46] w6 E@@< E96 G@E6 2?JH2J]k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E[ 2=>@DE >@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8 6=D6[ >2<6D 9:> E96 36DE 42?5:52E6 E@ H:? E9:D C246]k^Am
kAmu282?[ bg[ :D J@F?8[ 2CE:4F=2E6[ :>AC6DD:G6[ D>2CE 2?5 2? FA\2?5\4@>6C] $96 92D 2? 23F?52?E C6D6CG6 @7 6?6C8J[ 2?5 D96V5 36 2 8C62E DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C H9:496G6C 42FD6D 42E49 96C 6J6] $96 D6CG65 @? E96 s2G:5 s@F8=2D $49@@= q@2C5 7@C EH@ J62CD[ F?D62E65 2 #6AF3=:42? :? E96 w@FD6 :? a_`a[ =67E @77:46 :? a_`e E@ C2:D6 96C 49:=5C6?[ 2?5 C6EFC?65 EH@ J62CD =2E6C 27E6C 2 DF446DD7F= AC:>2CJ 492==6?86 E@ s6>@4C2E:4 $6?] #@5 |@?C@6]k^Am
kAm%92EVD ?@E 2 E@? @7 E:>6 :? @77:46[ @C :? A2CEJ =6256CD9:A WD96 5@6D 492:C E96 $6?2E6 r@>>:EE66 ~? w@FD:?8 2?5 s6G6=@A>6?EX]k^Am
kAmw2DD[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ D2E @? E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 E2I 4@>>:EE66D 5FC:?8 E96 C646DD:@?D @7 a__a 2?5 a__f\`_[ H9:49 H6C6 E@F89 E:>6D :?5665] w6VD =65 E96 $6?2E6 u:?2?46 2?5 #6G6?F6 r@>>:EE66 D:?46 a_`d] w6 96=A65 4C62E6 ~C68@?VD EH@ >2:? C6D6CG6 7F?5D[ @C C2:?J 52J 244@F?ED[ H9:49 ?@H E@E2= ;FDE F?56C Sb 3:==:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 E9:C5 42?5:52E6[ 2?5 E96 =62DE 6IA6C:6?465 :? DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E[ :D y2>:6 |4{6@5\$<:??6C] p?5 H6V5 G6?EFC6 E@ D2J D96 92D E96 >@DE :?E6C6DE:?8 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J 6>A@H6C:?8 9:DE@CJ @7 2?J 42?5:52E6 7@C DE2E6H:56 @77:46 :? 564256D] |4{6@5\$<:??6C[ dg[ H2D 3@C? :? (:D4@?D:?[ =:G65 :? %2?K2?:2 2D 2 49:=5 W96C >@> E2F89E E96C6X 2?5 8C25F2E65 7C@> pD9=2?5 w:89 $49@@=] $96 H2D 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= A=2??6C 7@C E96 $2?E2 r=2C2 '2==6J (2E6C s:DEC:4E 7@C D:I J62CD 2?5 4:EJ >2?286C @7 !9@6?:I[ ~C68@?[ 7@C 7:G6 >@?E9D] $96 D:ED @? E96 y6776CD@? r@F?EJ t5F42E:@? $6CG:46 s:DEC:4E 3@2C5 2?5[ 7C@> a__c E9C@F89 a_`a[ H2D 2? 6=64E65 >6>36C @7 E96 $2?E2 r=2C2 r:EJ r@F?4:=] $96 D:ED @? E96 ~C68@? (2E6CD965 t?92?46>6?E q@2C5[ DEF5:65 4F=EFC2= 2?E9C@A@=@8J 7@C 2 J62C 2E {6H:D U2>Aj r=2C< r@==686[ DEF5:65 28C:4F=EFC2= 6?8:?66C:?8 :? pC:K@?2[ 4:G:= 6?8:?66C:?8 2E }6H *@C<VD #6?DD6=26C !@=JE649?:4 x?DE:EFE6[ 2?5 62C?65 2 >2DE6CVD 568C66 :? C68:@?2= A=2??:?8 7C@> r@C?6== &?:G6CD:EJ] $96 =2E6C 82:?65 2 =2H 568C66 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 ~C68@? H:E9 2 7@4FD @? ?2EFC2= C6D@FC46D[ H2E6C 2?5 x?5:2? =2H]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ 62C?65 E96 6?5@CD6>6?E @7 7@C>6C $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 y62??6 pE<:?D]k^Am
kAm(@H]k^Am
kAm%9:D[ 9@H6G6C[ :D?VE E96 E:>6 E@ 92G6 2 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6[ 2?5 2 A@E6?E:2= 8@G6C?@C\:?\E96\H:?8D[ H:E9 DF49 2 DE66A =62C?:?8 4FCG6 @7 9@H E@ 86E E9:?8D 244@>A=:D965 :? $2=6>]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 s6>@4C2ED CF??:?8[ w2DD :D E96 @?6 H:E9 E96 G2DE=J DFA6C:@C 6IA6C:6?46 :? =6256CD9:A] w6 D9@H65 96 42? 36 :?56A6?56?E 7C@> E96 A@H6CD E92E 36 369:?5 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 A2CEJ] w6VD D9@H? 96 42? H@C< H:E9 #6AF3=:42?D]k^Am
kAm~C68@? 92D 2? 6>32CC2DD>6?E @7 C:496D :? E9:D C246] $92>:2 u282? 2?5 y2>:6 |4{6@5\$<:??6C 2C6 :>AC6DD:G6[ E@ D2J E96 =62DE] (6 9@A6 E96J DE:4< 2C@F?5 2?5 9@A6 E92E[ E@@[ 8C@H :?E@ DE2E6H:56 =6256CD9:A A@D:E:@?D]k^Am
kAmqFE :? a_a_[ 92?5D\5@H?[ |2C< w2DD 925 >256 E96 42D6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 9:D =6256CD9:A 7@C ~C68@?] w6 56D6CG6D 2 QJ6DQ G@E6]k^Am