Tobias Read appeared to secure the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, according to partial returns.
In early returns Read had an overwhelming lead over James Manning with 72% of the vote as of 8:05 p.m. on Tuesday.
鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 good affirmation of the messages that we鈥檝e been trying to communicate about the stability and professionalism we want to bring to the Secretary of State鈥檚 office,鈥� Read told OPB shortly after 8 p.m., 鈥渁nd the need to make sure that everyone has confidence in how votes are counted in Oregon 鈥� and that the audit function in the Secretary of State鈥檚 office is driven by data and not by predetermined political agendas.鈥�
The secretary of state is charged with overseeing elections and auditing state agencies and they hold a seat on the state鈥檚 land use board and are second-in-line to become governor.
While campaigning, both Read and Manning said their primary goal was to restore trust in the office.
The seat was open after the previous elected Secretary of State, Shemia Fagan, abruptly resigned last May. Her announcement came after revelations, first reported by , that she had signed a lucrative contract with a cannabis company at the same time her office audited state regulations on cannabis business. The owners of the cannabis company were also high-profile Democratic donors.
Read spent a decade in the state House of Representatives before winning the treasurer job in 2016. He also ran for governor in 2022 and lost in the Democratic primary to now-Gov. Tina Kotek.
While campaigning, Read touted his efforts to create the nation鈥檚 first opt-out retirement plan, which he said will help thousands of Oregonians have a retirement fund,. Read said his work to streamline the state鈥檚 unclaimed property program has made it easier for Oregonians to recapture lost assets, such as forgotten bank accounts or old checks. He also noted the treasury department also conducts audits, so he has experience in the arena. He was reluctant to say specific areas where he would audit if he were elected.
But Read said he would like to see his office hone in on areas where the state is spending a lot of money and lives are at stake.
Manning spent 24 years in the Army and served as an inspector general. He was appointed to the Senate in late 2016 and has since been reelected twice. His role as Senate president pro tem means he oversees the Senate chamber when President Rob Wagner is absent.
Read will have a role in ensuring the state鈥檚 new campaign finance limits . His office will be charged with improving Orestar, the landing page for tracking campaign finance reporting, which can often be slow and is a cumbersome search tool.
The other Democratic candidates, James Crary, Dave Stauffer and Paul Wells did not capture many votes.
Read will face Sen. Dennis Linthicum, a Klamath County Republican, in November. Linthicum can no longer seek reelection to the state Senate after participating in the Senate Republican walkout of 2023.
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