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Bates-Hunts race remains undetermined By Dani Dodge At least three state representative races look like wins for Republicans, but with only 18.3 percent of the Jackson County votes counted at press time, the District 52 race � Democrat Alan Bates vs. Republican Jane Hunts � was still too close to call. And none of the races are cinched. In District 50, incumbent Rob Patridge, R-Medford, led his Democratic opponent Barbara Davidson 4,027 to 2,615. Davidson, a retired Crater High School English teacher, who focused her campaign on education, wasn�t willing to concede Tuesday. "I am optimistic," she said. "We worked hard and we expect a better showing than we�ve had so far." Patridge, an attorney, has been seen as a rising star in the state�s Republican Party. Among his efforts in the Legislature, he sponsored Measure 87 that would allow zoning of sexually oriented businesses. Patridge said the strong early showing proves he�s been able to cross over party lines, getting support from both independents and Democrats. "I�m excited to go back to Salem and do some wonderful things for people of Medford and Southern Oregon," Patridge said. In District 51, Republican Cherryl Walker was putting distance between herself and Democrat Lon Holston. In Josephine County, Walker was winning to 2,746 votes to 1,071 votes with 64 percent of the ballots counted. In Jackson County, she was winning 3,473 to 1,968. During the campaign, Walker, a retired administrative law hearings officer, emphasized stabilizing education funding and managing growth. Holston, a lobbyist and employee of Sierra Pine/Medite, emphasized the need to increase education funding and affordable housing for seniors and the disabled. Holston, like Davidson, wasn�t ready to concede Tuesday night. "When you look at a vote by mail, you have to realize that certain segments vote early ... and they are the more conservative," he said. "There�s a lot of votes still left out there." In District 46, Susan Morgan, R-Myrtle Creek, was leading W. Earl Calhoun 10,961 to 4,001. Her lead was 986 to 457 in Jackson County, which makes up a small part of the district. Morgan, who has represented the district since 1998, works in the logging industry. Calhoun, who touted the idea of a living wage in Oregon during the campaign, is a retired electrician. He accepted the defeat gracefully Tuesday night. "With the nature of the district it was a long shot from the beginning," Calhoun said. "But it�s been a great race. ... We�ve had a lot of fun and not much recrimination." The most closely watched race in southern Oregon is the District 52: the race between Hunts and Bates. Early returns show Bates leading Hunts by 3,161 to 2,535 votes. Bates, though, said the numbers so far are "insignificant." "If that holds up it would be wonderful," Bates said. "But it�s too early to tell anything." Bates and Hunts are vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. Judy Uherbelau because of term limits. Both the state Republicans and Democrats have targeted this race as key to winning the state Legislature for their party. The district � stretching from Ashland to Prospect and beyond � has a Democratic edge. Still it has vacillated between Democratic and Republican representation over the past few decades. Both the state Democrats and Republicans pumped money into the contest, making it to one of the most expensive in the state. In the last reporting period, Bates had collected $130,000 and Hunts. $126,000. During the campaign, Bates, a family physician, emphasized his experience in developing the Oregon Health Plan and decade of experience on the Eagle Point School Board. He used mailers and television ads to get across his point, including one ad featuring Gov. John Kitzhaber. Hunts, a small business owner, focused her campaign on upbeat mailings. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.