Secretary of State

 
Oregon General Election – November 8, 2016
 
Secretary of State
 
 
The Secretary of State and the Attorney General have responsibility for managing citizen initiatives and referenda.  OFIR and other citizen groups have had problems in mounting initiatives and referenda because of apparent resistance from the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s offices.  The Secretary of State administers the process of filing the citizen measures, reviewing petition signatures, etc., and can use delays and other tactics to impede the process.  The Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot titles for initiatives and can slant the title to favor one side or the other.  (See separate report on Attorney General candidates.) 
 
Several issue-oriented groups have recently experienced difficulties as a result of unsatisfactory and slanted ballot titles.  If a group challenges the language of the title, this delays the process and reduces the time available for collecting signatures, which are due well before the election date as they must be verified by the Secretary of State’s office before the measure is officially approved to go on the ballot. Then time is needed to include the measure in voter pamphlets, on ballots, etc.  If activists accept the skewed ballot title, they face severe problems of public misunderstanding and failure of the measure.   Thus incumbent Secretaries of State and Attorneys General can and do cripple the efforts of citizen activists with whom they disagree. 
 
In the November 2016 general election, there are 5 candidates for Oregon Secretary of State, one each from the Democratic, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, and Pacific Green parties.  The major party candidates are Dennis Richardson, Republican, of Central Point and Brad Avakian, Democrat of Portland. 
 
1.  Dennis Richardson, Republican Party candidate, served 6 terms in the State Legislature as Representative from District 4 from 2003-2014.   By occupation, he is a lawyer, having graduated from Brigham Young University and its Law School.  He served as an Army combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam.
 
On his campaign website he addresses the problem faced by activists attempting to pass initiatives and referenda.  He says:  “Dennis believes citizens have the right to petition their government. He’ll work to make the initiative process more transparent and citizen friendly. He’ll advocate for fair and non-partisan ballot titling by proposing a citizen’s commission on ballot titling, which would remove the process from partisan hands.”
 
While serving in the House in 2005, he voted for HB 2583, a bill requiring evidence of citizenship for persons registering to vote for first time.  The bill passed the House but died in the Senate.   In 2008, he voted for SB 1080, the bill requiring proof of citizenship by driver license applicants which is still in effect today.  In March 2013, he voted for SB 2787, giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens.  In April 2013, he voted against SB 833, the bill granting official driver cards and i.d. to illegal aliens.  He was a leader in the opposition to this bill and spoke strongly against it on the floor of the House on April 30, 2013.  In Feb. 2014,  when supporters of SB 833 attempted to change the Referendum ballot title to make it more favorable to their side, Rep. Richardson actively opposed that effort and voted against the bill, H.R. 4054 which would have changed the title.
 
His campaign website is at http://www.dennisrichardson.com/home.
Email available through webform at: http://dennisrichardson.com/email-signup/
 
2. Brad Avakian, Democratic Party candidate, was elected to the Oregon House in 2002, serving there until elected to the Oregon Senate in 2006.  In April 2008 he was appointed by Governor Kulongoski to be Commissioner of Labor and Industries, then elected to the position in November 2008, and has served there now for nearly 8 years.
  
While in the Oregon House in 2005 he voted against HB 2583 requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. In the Senate in 2007, on SB 424, a bill to align Oregon with the federal Real ID program, he voted for the motion to substitute Minority Report for Committee Report on SB 424, which was a maneuver to defeat SB 424.  Then a motion to refer to Ways and Means carried on voice vote, and the bill died without any other vote.  In the 2008 Special Session, he voted against SB 1080 requiring proof of citizenship to obtain a driver license.  That bill passed both houses of the Legislature and became law in February 2008.
 
His campaign website is at: http://www.bradavakian.com/.  It has an Issues section but no mention of immigration as a political issue.  The “About Brad” section contains biographical information.  He authored a commentary article published in The Oregonian in 2010 which described his sympathies for immigrants and touted their value but did not address any issues related to illegal immigration or the volume of immigration. 
Email: webform for email at: http://www.bradavakian.com/contact/
 
3.  The Independent Party candidate is Paul Damian Wells, of Corvallis.  His filing paper with the OR Secretary of State shows that he holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an Associate’s degree from Portland Community College in machine manufacturing technology.  He lists his occupation as CNC machinist.  On his website at www.thekeel.org he discusses some political views but there is no mention of immigration.  His views on immigration are unknown.   Email:  pdamianw@thekeel.org
 
4. The Libertarian Party candidate is Sharon L. Durbin of Lyons, in Linn County.  She replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education questionnaire:  2.  Do you support requiring proof of identity before registering to vote?  Yes.  “The motor-voter registration is working well here because you must show proof of citizenship to do so.”  3. Do you support an Oregon Constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?  No.  “We already have that and constantly amending the constitution is not the best way to handle things.”  9.  Do you support taking steps to make the initiative process more accessible to Oregonians?  No. “It seems to be quite acceptable now.”  10.  Do you support restricting the "emergency clause" on legislation as true emergencies?  Yes.  12.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify citizenship for employee eligibility to work in Oregon?  Yes.  
No website was found for Durbin.  
 
Her filing paper with OR Secretary of State says she holds a doctoral degree in law from AZ State University and is an attorney.
 
5. The Pacific Green Party candidate is Alan F. Zundel, of Eugene.  He replied to the Oregon  Abigail Adams Voter Education questionnaire:  2.  Do you support requiring proof of identity before registering to vote?  Yes.  3. Do you support an Oregon Constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?  No.  9. Do you support taking steps to make the initiative process more accessible to Oregonians?  Yes.  10.  Do you support restricting the "emergency clause" on legislation as true emergencies?  Yes.  12.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify citizenship for employee eligibility to work in Oregon?  No.  
 
Zundel’s campaign website is at www.voteforalan.org.  No references to immigration were found there.