Eastern Oregonian: What's Not To Like About Kate Brown?

Editorial: Secretary of state race gets crowded
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury will be term-limited out of office next year and even though the election is still many months away, the field of candidates lined up to replace him is getting pretty crowded.

Three Democrats and one Republican have already thrown their hats into the ring, with varying degrees of formality.

The three Democrats are Sen. Brad Avakian, who represents a corner of Washington and Multnomah counties; Sen. Kate Brown of Portland; and Sen. Vicki Walker of Eugene. The lone Republican in the race appears to be Sen. Bruce Starr who also hails from Washington County.

And while the endorsement season is a long way off, right now we would be inclined to say, "What's not to like about Kate Brown?" The former senate majority leader made the rounds in Pendleton last week and left a generally favorable impression.

That doesn't always happen with legislators from Portland, but then Senator Brown is pretty comfortable in this part of Oregon. Her husband spent almost ten years working for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and also did a stint in John Day.

This is by no means our first encounter with Brown or any of her opponents, but it was nice to see where she is going with a new campaign.

Since Oregon doesn't have a lieutenant governor, the secretary of state is the second ranking constitutional officer. It's clear Brown has a keen understanding of the role of that office and an interest in running that is specific to the duties.

Brown well-regarded in legislature

Brown, who has served for sixteen years in the legislature, won her first election by just seven votes, so she has a unique understanding of how much every vote counts. Election law and procedures are one of the major focuses of the office.

As the ranking Democratic leader in the senate, Brown developed a reputation for working effectively with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and demonstrated quality leadership based more on the needs of Oregon and less on partisanship.

Her time in the legislature also left her with an understanding of the state's economic ups and downs and the need for efficiency. The secretary of state also has major responsibilities for conducting audits and promoting savings and economy.

Getting young voters engaged

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Brown is her take on the difference between representative government and direct democracy. While she sees a need to reform the initiative system, she views it as a prelude to making government more relevant for succeeding generations.

Brown said there is no question young people are feeling less connected with the governmental process and are less inclined to vote, but in some respects she sees this as a reflection of the difference between generations.

A strong proponent of civic engagement, she advocates for ways to reach out to a generation that lives on-line, is connected instantly by text messaging, and is involved and engaged in its own way.

Notes Brown, it won't be long before almost every citizen in Oregon will be able to weigh in on an issue almost instantly.

"Rather than criticizing young people for not being interested," she said, "we need to make sure we have a system that involves, rather than discourages, the new generations."

It will be fascinating to watch this critical race unfold and it will be interesting to follow Brown's campaign. Right now, it appears her opponents have their work cut out for them.

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Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board, comprised of Editor and Publisher George Murdock, General Manager Wendy DalPez, Deputy Managing Editor Dave Sager and East Oregonian Publishing Company Treasurer Kathryn Brown. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian.