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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW California man dies in I-5 rollover ... Medford man wins Megabucks jackpot ... Budget tops $339 million for 2016-17 ... California man dies in I-5 rollover ... Medford man wins Megabucks jackpot ... Budget tops $339 million for 2016-17 ... OUR VIEW Our View: GOP leaders scramble to back a challenger Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News C.W. Smith's decision to run as a write-in Republican candidate for the state Senate with the blessing of U.S. Rep. Greg Walden and Oregon House Minority Leader Mike McLane should leave no doubt that the handoff of a state Senate and House seat to hand-picked successors was an outrageous breach of the public trust. Smith, a former Jackson County commissioner and sheriff, said he decided to run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Doug Whitsett because only one candidate filed for the Republican nomination and the race needed divergent views. But there's a lot more to it than that. Whitsett and his wife, Rep. Gail Whitsett, filed for re-election to their respective seats last October. (Whitsett's Senate District 28 seat includes a large geographic portion of Jackson County.) The morning after the filing deadline for the May 17 primary, the couple announced they were retiring from the Legislature. Former Klamath County Commissioner Dennis Linthicum and E. Werner Reschke, a Klamath business owner, filed for the Whitsetts' seats minutes before the elections office closed on the filing deadline. Linthicum is extremely conservative. He previously mounted a primary challenge against Walden because he said the longtime Republican congressman was too liberal. But regardless of ideology, to prevent others from entering the race by concealing the incumbent's retirement until after the filing deadline had passed is unconscionable. It's clear that view is widely held. A meeting took place last week in Klamath Falls to choose a write-in candidate with the intention of defeating Linthicum in the primary. Participants in the meeting decided Walden and Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, who represents the other House district that makes up Whitsett's Senate district, should decide between Smith and Klamath County Museum Manager Todd Kepple. In a conference call later, Walden and McLane determined that Smith would be the stronger candidate. A write-in campaign is never easy, because it requires voters to enter the candidate's name on a ballot rather than choosing from a list. And Kepple didn't make things any easier by saying he might continue his write-in campaign as an independent candidate, which potentially could draw votes from Smith. Regardless of the outcome, Senate District 28 voters should be angry that their senator thought so little of them that he felt it necessary to deny them the right to choose his successor. And if Linthicum should win the nomination and eventually the seat, he's likely to find that the disdain now attached to the Whitsetts will easily transfer to him. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501