Kitzhaber, DeFazio eye Oregon governor’s race
Sunday, April 26, 2009 2:05 PM PDT
SALEM (AP) — John Kitzhaber will be returning to the State Capitol soon — temporarily, at least, to attend a May 27 unveiling of the official portrait honoring his legacy as Oregon’s 35th governor.
Former state Rep. Jane Cease, who’s in charge of the fundraising effort for the portrait, has seen the oil painting by artist Henk Pander and says it’s a ‘‘magnificent tribute’’ to Kitzhaber.
Would Cease like to see Kitzhaber run in 2010, a race that could make him the state’s governor again?
‘‘Oh sure,’’ the Portland Democrat says. ‘‘I think a lot of people admired the way he did his job.’’
Under Oregon law, governors are limited to two consecutive terms.
So Kitzhaber, who served two terms and then was succeeded by Ted Kulongoski, has the right to run once again in 2010.
Kitzhaber won’t publicly discuss it, but he is seriously considering a run for governor and has been talking with others about it.
‘‘John’s always been one to speak when he has something to say, and I’m sure he will when and if he’s ready,’’ said Steve Marks, a longtime friend who was Kitzhaber’s chief of staff.
Kitzhaber isn’t the only big-name Democrat eyeing the race.
Veteran Congressman Peter DeFazio is being tempted by the wide-open race as well, although he has reservations about walking away from the power and seniority he’s amassed in Congress.
DeFazio is chairman of the congressional subcommittee that will formulate the nation’s transportation priorities for the coming years.
This past week, the 4th District congressman fended off inquiries — at least for now — about a run for governor.
‘‘I am totally immersed in writing the next highways authorization at the moment, and it will consume all of my time for the next several months,’’ DeFazio said.
A recent survey by Portland pollster Bob Moore showed that DeFazio and Kitzhaber are both well known and popular with Democratic voters. The poll showed they have much more name recognition than two other potential Democratic contenders — former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and Portland activist Steve Novick, who ran for the U.S. Senate nomination last year.
On the Republican side, former state treasurer candidate Allen Alley is the only declared candidate for governor. Republicans haven’t held the office since the 1980s, and Democratic voter registration gains last year will make it even more difficult for them to reclaim the office.
Alley is a high-tech entrepreneur who lost to Democrat Ben Westlund in last November’s state treasurer race. He says his business background and position as a GOP moderate will help him win broad support among voters next year.
‘‘I’m somebody who has actually signed the front of a paycheck — by employing people — and has invested in and grown companies,’’ Alley said.
At this stage, most attention is focused on the Democratic side, especially if two heavy hitters like Kitzhaber and DeFazio are running.
Kitzhaber, a former emergency room physician and state legislator, made his mark in the governor’s office as a defender of the environment and an advocate for expanded health care.
He may have given election rivals some ammunition when, shortly before he left office in January 2003, he said the state had become ‘‘ungovernable’’ because excessive partisanship was standing in the way of solutions to problems like lack of access to health care.
Portland pollster Tim Hibbitts said, though, that a lot of Oregonians found Kitzhaber’s bluntness a refreshing trait during his two terms as governor.
‘‘I’m not sure many voters would disagree with him about the ’ungovernable’ comment, to be honest with you,’’ Hibbitts said.
The man who painted Kitzhaber’s portrait, Henk Pander, is an unabashed fan.
He said the painting shows Kitzhaber, in his trademark cowboy boots and jeans and his medical bag at his feet, with a view of the Rogue River depicted over Kitzhaber’s shoulder.
Pander, who also did the official portrait of Gov. Tom McCall that hangs in the State Capitol, said he included the Rogue in the painting because it holds a strong personal appeal for Kitzhaber, who’s rafted the river numerous times over the years.
The painting of Kitzhaber will be displayed in a hallway just outside the Oregon Senate chambers.
