November ballot takes shape for Oregon secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general

About 30% of registered voters in Oregon participated in Tuesday’s primary election, deciding who will run in the November general election for three of the state's top offices.

Five Democrats and three Republicans ran in their respective primaries for secretary of state, two Democrats and a Republican ran to be the party nominee for treasurer, and two Republicans and two Democrats sought the attorney general nomination. All but one of the candidates have served in the Oregon Legislature.

Vote tallies will continue to change through the weekend as ballots postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day and received by May 28 will be counted. Oregon’s secretary of state must certify election results by June 27.

But according to votes counted so far, Democrat Dan Rayfield, the former Speaker of the House, will face Republican Will Lathrop, a former Yamhill and Marion county prosecutor, in the race for Oregon attorney general.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced her retirement in September. She led the Oregon Department of Justice for three terms and was the state’s first female attorney general.

Democrat state Treasurer Tobias Read will face state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, for Oregon secretary of state.

Gov. Tina Kotek appointed LaVonne Griffin-Valade as secretary of state in June 2023 after Shemia Fagan resigned during an ethics investigation for accepting a consulting contract with a cannabis company at the same time her office was auditing the marijuana industry.

And state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, will face state Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, for state treasurer.

Read was barred from reelection as state treasurer by term limits.

Secretary of state race pits treasurer against lawmaker barred from reelection

Read has been treasurer since 2017 and served in the Oregon Legislature for 10 years before that. He said his priorities as secretary of state would be restoring public trust in the office; assuring Oregonians that elections are transparent, safe, and legitimate; improving ballot access; and restructuring the website used to track campaign finance data and election filings.

Linthicum is barred from running for reelection in the Legislature for accumulating more than 10 unexcused absences during GOP senators' walkout during the 2023 legislative session. He said his priorities as secretary of state would include ending a contract with an “AI vendor” used to track and trace misinformation, disinformation and mal-information, which he referred to as evidence of the office’s disenfranchisement of some voters. Linthicum also has advocated ending Oregon's vote-by-mail system.

The secretary of state is charged with overseeing elections, state audits, and maintaining government records. They also serve on the three-member State Land Board, with the governor and treasurer, and as chair of the Oregon Board of Sustainability and Environment. They will oversee implementation of Oregon’s new campaign finance limits.

As of Thursday, Linthicum had received $53,612 in campaign contributions this year, while Read's campaigned had received $793,519.

Former prosecutor will face former House speaker for attorney general

Rayfield, a Willamette University College of Law graduate, was elected to the Oregon House in 2014. Before being elected to the Oregon Legislature, he worked for 18 years as a private attorney.

He said he would prioritize supporting working families, protecting Oregonians’ values and policies from national threats, and keeping communities safe.

"As we move to the general election, I will continue to offer a clear vision of keeping Oregonians safe, strengthening our justice system to make it more accountable and fair, standing up for consumers, seniors and children, and protecting our rights from national threats, including on reproductive health and abortion rights," he said.

Lathrop, also a Willamette University College of Law graduate, hopes to become the state's first Republican attorney general since the 1980s. He was a former Marion and Yamhill county deputy district attorney and worked for a global human rights organization, International Justice Mission, leading a West Africa anti-human-trafficking operation.

He said he is running to change the status quo and would focus on reducing the prevalence of drugs and restoring safe communities and trust in government.

"I represent a dawn of new leadership that is focused on public service and problem solving — not partisan politics," he said after initial returns Tuesday night.

Rayfield’s campaign has received $419,824 in contributions, and Lathrop’s has gotten $354,261.

State senators Boquist and Steiner vie for treasurer

Boquist — like Linthicum — is barred from reelection in the Legislature because he had 10 or more unexcused floor absences during the Republican walkouts during the 2023 session. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary for treasurer.

Boquist said he was running due to his “deep understanding of the State of Oregon finances and revenue after years in the citizen legislature.”

Steiner, a state lawmaker since 2011 and co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee since 2018, said she would continue Read's net zero plan, follow through on the COAL Act introduced during the 2024 legislative session, and expand and grow existing programs, including the implementation of a baby bond program.

Steiner said she said she also would bring together savings programs offered by the State Treasurer’s Office into one platform such as a website or app to increase their use and accessibility.

According to campaign finance records, Boquist had received $11,081 in campaign contributions this year compared to $365,614 for Steiner.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What the November ballot will look like for three top Oregon offices