SB12: Judges Have to Earn It

Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Kiezer) and Representatives Ed Diehl (R-Dexter) and Bobby Levy (R-Echo) have introduced SB 12 which would deny appointed judges from being characterized as the incumbent when running for election the first time. In an attempt to make judicial elections more competitive, this bill might put some friction in the Oregon Democratic Party’s judge machine where retiring judges let the Governor know in advance. The Governor appoints the replacement. This is all timed well before an election, and the appointee enters that first election as the incumbent, making it harder to be challenged.

I can’t say I’m super excited about this bill. I’m not a fan of holding elections for judges in the first place. I’m glad we don’t do that at the federal level. Yet, since that is how Oregon’s Constitution is designed, I’m inclined to support this bill for the small manor in which it might add some authenticity to that electoral process. Judges would become incumbents on Oregon ballets the old-fashioned way the 1979 Smith Barney commercials characterized their stock brokers’ incomes: they would have to earn it.

That makes sense to me.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.