The Grant County Blue Mountain Eagle joined many other newspapers across the state, including The Oregonian, The Willamette Week, The Eugene Register Guard, and The Bend Bulletin, by endorsing Knute for Oregon Secretary of State!

Published Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Editorial: Give Buehler a Chance

The race for Oregon Secretary of State has drawn several minor candidates, but the substantive race is between Kate Brown, the Democratic incumbent, and Knute Buehler, the Republican challenger.

Having served in the Legislature prior to becoming secretary of state, Brown resembles other politicians who have spent the bulk of their professional lives in Salem. She was a far more compelling candidate in her first run for statewide office, but since then her performance has been competent but uninspiring.

After a long drought, the Republican Party has a credible candidate in Buehler. A Bend orthopedic surgeon and graduate of Oregon State University, he makes the case for change.

It is true that he lacks public office on his resume. So did Tom McCall, prior to becoming Oregon’s secretary of state in 1964. Buehler has high ambitions, including contributing to the reform of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Buehler recognizes that Salem is virtually rigged against PERS reform, because everyone – from the legislators to governor to the Supreme Court – is dependent upon a PERS pension.

If you want to shake up the sense of entitlement that afflicts some Democratic Party politicians, this is your opportunity.

We recommend Knute Buehler. Electing him would add diversity to the chemistry of the statehouse. Oregon could use that.