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Bates overtakes Hunts photo of Alan Bates, top, by Jim Craven By Dani Dodge Alan Bates is the new representative in Oregon House District 52. Jane Hunts, his Republican opponent, conceded the legislative race Wednesday evening. "About 10 minutes ago, I got a very kind and gracious phone call from Jane," Bates, a Democrat, said as he drove to one of his last meetings as a member of the Eagle Point School Board. "I�m proud of the race Jane and I ran. We stayed positive." With 57 percent of the ballots counted, Bates had 9,406 votes (59.6 percent) to Hunts� 6,363 (40.4 percent). Except for Bates, it was a clean sweep for Republicans in Southern Oregon: Rep. Rob Patridge in House District 50, Cherryl Walker in District 51 and Rep. Susan Morgan in District 46. Jason Atkinson was unopposed in Senate District 25. In the hard-fought District 52 race, Bates said voters chose based on experience. "You can�t look at Jane and say she isn�t a wonderful candidate because she is," Bates said. The District 52 race was one of the hottest legislative races this November. The seat has vacillated between Democrats and Republicans since the 1980s. With term limits crowding out Rep. Judy Uherbelau, D-Ashland, Republicans thought it might be their turn. And both parties pumped thousands of dollars into a race that cost double any other Southern Oregon contest. Hunts had name recognition from her 1998 race against Uherbelau and experience as a small business owner. But Bates had two political powerhouses boosting his run: Ashland Mayor Cathy Shaw and Jacksonville computer consultant Charles McHenry. More than 500 volunteers worked on his campaign, including Gov. John Kitzhaber. Bates, like Kitzhaber a physician, had worked on developing the Oregon Health Plan. He also had elected experience that Hunts did not: a decade on the Eagle Point School Board. Bates also serves as chief of medicine at both Rogue Valley and Providence medical centers. Bates will give up both his school board post and his roles as chief of medicine to concentrate on being a representative, he said. He will work three-quarter-time in his Central Point medical practice, except when the Legislature meets. Then he�ll take a full-time sabbatical. Here are the latest Jackson County numbers in other state races, with 57 percent of the vote as of Wednesday night: District 46: Rep. Susan Morgan, R-Myrtle Point, beat Democrat W. Earl Calhoun of Shady Cove, 2,504-1,114. Morgan also won in Josephine and Douglas counties. District 50: Rep. Rob Patridge, R-Medford, beat Democrat Barbara Davidson, 8,694-5,279. District 51: Republican Cherryl Walker beat Democrat Lon Holston, 8,036-4,303. Walker also won in Josephine County. President: George W. Bush leads Al Gore, 25,926 to 18,990. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader had 1,926 county votes. 2nd District Congress: Greg Walden, R-Hood River, who won districtwide, leads Democrat Walter Ponsford 32,534 to 13,209. Secretary of State: Republican Lynn Snodgrass led in the county vote over Democratic incumbent Bill Bradbury, who won statewide. The county vote gave Snodgrass 23,255 votes, Bradbury 20,494, Pacific Green Lloyd Marbet 1,733 and Libertarian E.J. Poll 751. State treasurer: Republican Jon Kvistad led the county vote over Democrat Randall Edwards, who won statewide. County vote: Kvistad 22,010, Edwards 20,330. Attorney general: Republican Kevin Mannix led the county vote over Democratic incumbent Hardy Myers, 23,101 to 20,626. Myers won statewide. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.