Opinion

In the Deschutes County Commissioner race, looks can be deceiving. This office is one of those positions that, against all reason, is partisan. County Commissioners work on land use, public safety, or locking horns with constituents over waste mitigation… not exactly the kind of platform issues that define a (D) or an (R).

Joyce Segers isn't gong to be elected to Congress this year, or ever. And that's a good thing, because she may be one of the least prepared candidates we've ever seen for a seat as important as that of a United States congresswoman. But that's not going to stop us from endorsing her for the position. And that alone should tell you more than you would ever need to know about her opponent, Republican Greg Walden who has held the seat for 10 long years.
During that time Walden has amassed a record of nearly unmatched conservatism that solidified his place as an up and comer in the Republican Party Central Committee. But it's come at the expense of his constituents and in many instances defied common sense. But that's Walden for you, a man who has always been more about posturing than good public policy.

The decision in the U.S. Senate race in Oregon is as close to a no-brainer as it can get. Ron Wyden has given us 14 years of distinguished service in the Senate, and his opponent, Jim Huffman, has given us no reason that he should replace him.

The Deschutes County Clerk remains, thankfully, a non-partisan position in Deschutes County. That's as it should be, given the clerk's role in overseeing all local elections. While the local Republican Party has worked to push the candidate whose personal politics reflect its own, we're not going down that road. While we like Geri Hauser and believe she would make a fine clerk, we see no reason to pull Nancy Blankenship from her post simply because she is registered as a Republican.