2006 General Election - Candidates

I received my 2006 voters ballot in the mail the other day. I think I have most of the votes decided, but there are few votes I still need to think about.

UPDATE: I finished the reviewing the candidates next will be the measures.

US REPRESENTATIVE, OR 1ST DISTRICT
[X] David Wu (Dem) (incumbent)
[_] Derrick Kitts (Rep)
[_] Dean Wolf (Constitution)
[_] Drake Davis (Libertarian)

Wu had no serious competition this year.

OR GOVERNOR
[X] Ted Kulongoski (Dem) (incumbent)
[_] Ron Saxton (Rep)
[_] Joe Keating (Green)
[_] Richard Morley (Libertarian)
[_] Mary Starrett (Constitutional)

This is going to be a tough race for Kulongoski to win. He's the best choice of the available candidates, but he's squandered his first term in office and hasn't defined what he's about. Worst case, if Saxton wins, the legislature will go Democratic and hold off Saxton.

On a side note, I have to admit that I've enjoyed the three third party candidates' attempts to be relevant. Starrett's Right-wing, anti-choice, pro-Christism, anti-government candidacy contrasts with Saxton's "moderate" flip-flop Republican credentials.

OR REPRESENTATIVE, 36TH DISTRICT
[X] Mary Nolan (Dem) (incumbent)
[_] Frank Dane (Libertarian)

The Republicans didn't even bother trying to find a candidate for SW Portland.

OR SUPREME COURT, POSITION 6
[X] Virginia L. Linder
[_] Jack Roberts

I'm still leaning towards Linder. I'm surprised Willamette Week changed their endorsement from Linder to Roberts since the primary. WWeek argued that since a woman has been appointed to the court since the primary, gender diversity is now a lower priority. They argue that Roberts moderate conservatism and outsider perspective are not more important.

I'm still leaning toward Linder because I don't buy the 'one woman is enough' argument. If gender diversity was important enough to be a deciding factor in the primary, then shouldn't there be at least four or five women on the highest court? I'm also weary of having even a moderate conservative on the court, but I'll try to keep an open mind and do more research.

UPDATE: I'm sticking with Linder. I see no reason to change my primary vote. She was also endorsed by former OR Circuit Court, 4th Dist., Pos. 31 Candidate Trung Tu; Attorney General Hardy Meyers; Portland Mercury

OR COURT OF APPEALS, POSITION 9
[X] Ellen F Rosenblum

Since she's the only candidate on the ballot, there's no real alternative.

UPDATE: According to the state's voters' guide, she is the incumbent.

OR CIRCUIT COURT, 4TH DISTRICT, POSITION 28
[_] Mark K. Kramer (markkramerforjudge.com)
[_] Charles L. Best (charleslbest.com)
[_] Ulanda L Watkins (ulandawatkins.com)
[_] Christopher D. Wright
[_] James E. Leuenberger
[X] Judith Hudson Matarazzo
[_] Mary Overgaard (maryovergaardforjudge.com)
[_] James J. McIntyre
[_] Theodore E Sims

I have no idea. I remember hearing some judicial candidate endorsements somewhere, but I'll need to do some research.

UPDATE: For whatever reason, Trung Tu doesn't "endorse" any of the candidates, but does "recommend" Matarazzo because he met her once and she is endorsed by people he respects. Heck, if a practicing lawyer doesn't know the judicial candidates well enough to endorse, then how should voters know? Isn't democracy great?!

UPDATE 2: WWeek and former Gov. Kitzhaber also endorse Matarazzo. However, Merc endorses Kramer, but I can't find any explanation for their endorsement.

It's amazing to me that the state's judiciary seems to be a popularity contest within the Oregon legal community. I don't know why, but whenever I see a judge in a courtroom (on TV), somehow I just assume the judge has ascended to the bench through government bureaucracy -- not through a little noticed elections process.

UPDATE 3: Wow, apparently whichever of the nine candidates receives the most votes becomes judge -- a majority vote is NOT required and there will NOT be a run-off. According to the Tribune, conceiveably someone could receive only 1/9th of the vote plus one and become a judge.

OR CIRCUIT COURT, 4TH DISTRICT, POSITION 31
[_] Kathleen Payne
[X] Cheryl Albrecht
Same thing. More research needed.

UPDATE: Albrecht is endorsed by Trung Tu who I voted for in the primary.

OR CIRCUIT COURT, 4TH DISTRICT, POSITION 4
[X] Adrienne C. Nelson

UPDATE: According to the state voters' guide, she is the incumbent.

OR CIRCUIT COURT, 4TH DISTRICT, POSITION 37
[_] Leslie Roberts
[X] WRITE-IN: Charles Henderson

UPDATE: According to WWeek, Roberts unethically withheld a residential eligibility complaint against the incumbent, Youlee Yo, until the last day to file so she could guarantee that her own name would be the only name on the ballot. It is alleged that Roberts' tactic was underhanded and unethical -- especially for a judge. Roberts should have filed her complaint regarding Yo not meeting the position's residential requirements as soon as she was aware of it -- especially since she was Yo's neighbor.

Henderson's long-shot write-in campaign is endorsed by WWeek, Merc, Tu, and blogger Jack Bogdanski.

WEST MULTNOMAH COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
AT LARGE 2:
[X] William R. Goode
[_] Richard W Sanders

UPDATE: Goode was endorsed by the Merc, but I'm not sure why.

UPDATE 2: The position is a four-year term and is unpaid. Goode is a lawyer (J.D.) and Sanders is a business owner and owns 360 cattle. Goode obviously has more credentials, but Sanders appears to have the rural background. I'll probably vote for Goode, but will do some more research.

DIRECTOR, ZONE 2:
[X] Jeff Joslin

DIRECTOR, ZONE 4:
[X] Brian Wm. Lightcap

DIRECTOR, ZONE 5:
[_] NO CANDIDATE FILED

WHAT!?! I have no idea what this agency does or what the candidates are running for. It seems like an office for a Green Party candidate.

UPDATE: According to the League of Women Voters' Multnomah County Election Guide:

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District and the West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District have a common mission, “to conserve, protect and enhance soil, water, air, and other natural resources to achieve a healthy environment for the people, fish, and wildlife of Multnomah County.” The Districts work with landowners, natural resource agencies, watershed councils, and other interested parties in a voluntary, non-regulatory manner. Current programs include Naturescaping for Clean Rivers, Conservation Planning and Implementation, Invasive Species Control, and Agricultural Water Quality Management. Each district is managed by a board of directors elected by the voters. They operate under the administrative oversight of the Natural Resources Division of the Oregon Department of Agriculture."