GOP urges Brown to pick Republican to succeed Richardson
Wednesday night, the Oregon Republican Party Executive Committee passed a resolution formally calling on (strongly urging) Gov. Kate Brown to select a replacement for the late Secretary of State Dennis Richardson from a pool of nominees chosen by Oregon Republican leadership, similar to the process used to replace state legislative vacancies.
“As we mourn Dennis Richardson’s passing less than 48 hours ago, we recognize that the governor is already making public her selection criteria for appointing a successor. Therefore, we must speak out now to ensure Dennis Richardson’s very effective and vital work for the people of Oregon continue, honoring the intent of Oregon voters when they elected him Secretary of State.”
“In 2016, Oregon voters elected Dennis Richardson to act as a check on the troubling excesses, abuses, and mismanagement coming to light within the state government in Salem. Thanks to the impartial oversight work of Secretary Richardson and his great team of auditors and staff, we now have a much clearer picture of what problems and inadequacies exist in our government agencies. So, it really matters that whomever is appointed to replace Secretary Richardson continues this crucial mission that voters sent him there to pursue.”
According to the Oregon Constitution, the Governor must select a registered Republican to fulfill the remainder of Richardson’s current term of office. Unlike replacement appointees for partisan state legislative vacancies, the state law doesn’t provide for any formal party nominating process to specify nominees from which the Governor will choose. Therefore, there is currently no legally required process to determine that the replacement appointee for Secretary of State meets with the approval of Republican voters that the Governor is supposed to represent when she makes her selection. The appointee need only be a registered Republican and be preferred by the Governor.
The resolution issued by the Oregon Republican Party calls upon Governor Brown to honor the “spirit in which he (Richardson) was elected” by working with the Oregon Republican Party leadership to appoint a replacement from a pool of 3 to 5 “nominees” supplied by the party, consistent with the process used to fill state legislative vacancies.
“The great majority of vacancies use this party nominating process to fill important positions in elected and appointed offices within state government. If the Governor plans to honor the decision of the Oregon voters in 2016 and to allow herself and her vast array of multi-billion dollar government agencies to be held accountable, she will recognize that what the Oregon GOP is proposing is consistent with precedent and established protocol.”
“The governor isn’t facing reelection and has a golden opportunity to take the statesman-like course of action by responding favorably to the Oregon GOP’s proposal. It’s also fair to say, that after the groundbreaking work by Dennis Richardson, voters will not take kindly to having his accomplishments abandoned and their intent in electing him thwarted.”
