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Oregon voters on Tuesday night split tickets to an unusual extent.
Results in Clackamas County provide a couple of prime examples. Voters in the most conservative of the three metro-area counties supported Democrat Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket by a 50 percent to 43 percent margin. The also narrowly supported Republican Dr. Bud Pierce over incumbent Democratic Gov. Kate Brown in the governor's race.
But in the race for Oregon secretary of state, they strongly favored Republican Dennis Richardson over Democrat Brad Avakian by a margin of 53 percent to 39 percent.
That's more than triple the four percentage-point margin by which Richardson won statewide, becoming the first Republican elected secretary of state since 1980.
It also suggests a large number of county residents voted for Clinton and Richardson, a pairing that requires some imagination.
In both the presidential, governor and secretary of state's race, Clackamas County voters supported the Republican candidate more than the average of state-wide results—which makes the county commission results even more interesting, even though those races are nominally non-partisan.
In 2012, former Wilsonville May John Ludlow won a decisive victory for county chair. He beat better-known politicians including former House Speaker Dave Hunt (D-Gladstone) and incumbent Chair Charlotte Lehan, employing a tough-talking approach that anticipated a style now popular with voters nationwide.
Ludlow formed a slate with former state Rep. Tootie Smith. They ran as outsiders with anti-light rail platform and a promise to "stop Portland creep."
But their stormy tenures on the commission will last only one term.
Commissioner Jim Bernard, a light-rail supporter, easily defeated Ludlow and newcomer Ken Humbertson defeated Smith.
Related: How a timber baron funded a populist revolt in Clackamas County.
State Rep. Ann Lininger (D-Lake Oswego), who formerly served on the Clackamas County Commission, applauded the changes.
"Clackamas County voters made a great decision in choosing Jim Bernard as chair and Ken Humbertson as commissioner," says Lininger. "I think they will be able move the county forward in a positive way."
Willamette Week
