Governor’s resignation means another election

We know when we’ll vote again, but who will be on that ballot is far less clear. Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown will be sworn in as the 38th governor of Oregon this Wednesday at 10 a.m., when John Kitzhaber’s resignation becomes official.

Speculation is swirling at the Oregon Capitol over who Brown will appoint as the new secretary of state. Sources tell NewsChannel 21 House Majority Leader Val Hoyle, D-Eugene, is on the short list, along with state Sen. Diane Rosenbaum, D-Portland. There’s no word on when Brown will do this, as it’s not written into Oregon’s constitution.

“It’s not constitutional,” Jim Foster, political science professor at OSU-Cascades, said Monday. “It would be statutory, but I assume she would want to fill that position as soon as possible.”

The turmoil is not over. In 2016, Oregonians must elect their governor yet again. The primaries for this open election will take place in May of next year. Brown can run if she chooses to.

The rumor in the Capitol is that her likely primary opponent would be state Treasurer Ted Wheeler, although that is unconfirmed.

“The presumption is that Kate Brown will have the inside track, because she’ll be sitting governor,” Foster said.

Brown’s success however, depends on how this legislative session goes for her. It has a packed agenda, with big-ticket issues like marijuana, roads, money, schools and more.

“I mean, whose stock is going up? Whose stock is going down?” Foster said.

Sources in Salem say it’s likely both major parties will wait until after the session to announce their picks for governor. for that exact reason. The Democrats’ short list includes Brown and Wheeler. The Republican Party says it’s too early to say who they will choose to run.