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Ballots for the May primary will be mailed tomorrow. As voters ponder their choices, there's perhaps no more interesting or closely contested race than the one to oversee elections, audit state agencies and perform the more mundane duties of safeguarding state archives and registering corporations.
The Democratic primary for secretary of state features three veteran office holders: Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian; state Sen. Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin); and state Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Eugene), the former House majority leader.
Each has an advantage: Avakian, a former Washington County lawmaker has held state-wide office since 2008, been on the ballot four times since then (three times as labor commissioner and once in a special Congressional election won by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici) and he's been involved in high-profile cases such as his agency's prosecution of owners of the Gresham bakery Sweet Cakes By Melissa for refusing to serve a lesbian couple.
Devlin, who first won election to the Legislature in 1996, holds the position of co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee. That committee writes the state's budget, which means every interest group in the state that wants funding has appeared in front of him and wants to retain his good will, should he fail to win the primary.
Hoyle, a four term incumbent, is the least experienced of the three but may benefit from being the only woman in a race against two white males from Washington County.
Each is vying to succeed current secretary of state Jeanne Atkins, whom Gov. Kate Brown appointed to serve out the balance of Brown's term when Brown moved up to replace former Gov. John Kitzhaber on Feb. 18, 2016.
Avakian has raised the most money of the three, counting this year and last, $530,000 and has $63,000 on hand.
Hoyle has raised $480,000 over the same period and has $65,000 on hand.
Devlin started last year with $253,000 on hand but has done the least to improve his position—he's raised just $273,000 in 2015 and 2016 but because he started with a big cushion and has pinched pennies, he's got $245,000 on hand as ballots go in the mail tomorrow.
Willamette Week