At the top of the local politics ticket in Oregon this November is the race for secretary of state. It's especially important because Oregon doesn't have a lieutenant governor, so the secretary of state is next in line to become governor.
Right now, Republican Bev Clarno holds the office, after Republican Dennis Richards died of cancer last year. Clarno was only chosen to finish out Richards' term on the condition she wouldn't run for re-election.
The two candidates in the running are Democrat Shemia Fagan and Republican Kim Thatcher, both with extensive state government experience.
Thatcher represents the part of the Willamette Valley between Hillsboro and Keizer and has been in the state legislature since 2005.
Fagan has been a state senator since last year, and prior to that, served in the state house for four years.
The secretary of state, once elected, is a primarily non-partisan position. The position is powerful, as they're in charge of registering businesses, performing audits on government agencies, housing state archives and -- arguably the most important -- overseeing state elections.
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