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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 15, 2006 Legislators may back open state primary Sen. Alan Bates says it might lead to more moderate candidates who would work better together By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune In an attempt to break the political gridlock in Salem, local legislators are considering an initiative for the November ballot that would allow open primaries in Oregon. "The system we presently have ends up producing people from the far left and far right who are not working together," said Sen. Alan Bates. The Ashland Democrat said his own district, which has a slight Republican advantage, is one of only 15 in the state that tend to produce more moderate candidates. Most of the 90 House and Senate districts in Oregon are strongly Democratic or Republican, he said. This ends up giving those on the far left or far right an advantage in a closed primary, he said. Under the current system, only those who’ve registered as Republican or Democrat can vote for a candidate in their own party. This effectively excludes independents or voters in other parties who want to cross over, said Chris Crew, field director of Oregon Open Primary Campaign in Portland. Advertisement A closed primary also can push out candidates who might otherwise win in a general election, but who don’t appeal to a more conservative or liberal base in a primary, said Crew. In an open primary, any registered voter can choose one candidate of any political persuasion. The candidates with the two highest number of votes then challenge each other in the general election. The initiative is being promoted by Norma Paulus, a Republican, and Phil Keisling, a Democrat, both former Oregon secretaries of state. Rep. George Gilman, a Medford Republican, said he’s not convinced an open primary would help the political makeup of the state, but added, "I’m not totally opposed to it." He said the political process in Salem is bogged down by ongoing tensions between the far left and far right. "I do believe we do need to move to a more moderate position," he said. "Quite a few people think it’s become too polarized." But Gilman said some conservatives suspect this might be an attempt by Democrats to position themselves better in upcoming elections. Gilman attended a small get-together in Medford Monday to discuss the initiative, saying there were more Democrats than Republicans there. Despite what he heard, Gilman said he probably won’t have a definite opinion on the initiative until after it gets on the ballot. He did not donate money to the initiative campaign, which so far has collected 30,000 signatures. The campaign hopes to gather 100,000 signatures to ensure at least 76,000 (required) are valid. Bates donated $1,000 to the ballot campaign, which has raised more than $300,000 but expects to raise up to $1 million. Bates predicted some politicians will feel threatened by the initiative because it could undermine the power they have in the primary election. But having a legislative body that is always at odds is a disservice to Oregonians and leads to a breakdown in passing budgets or other legislation, he added. "What we want to get away from is this polarization, this terrible polarization," said Bates, who is up for reelection in November. Bates’ Republican opponent, Lynn Aiello of Medford, could not be reached for comment Monday on the issue. Gilman, also up for re-election, is uncontested. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Legislators may back open state primary ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Advertisement s Advertisement