Oregon gubernatorial election, 2002
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002 for the post of Governor of Oregon
. Democratic
candidate Ted Kulongoski
defeated Republican
Kevin Mannix
.
justice
Ted Kulongoski won the Democratic primary on May 21, 2002, to gain the party's nomination. Incumbent
governor John Kitzhaber
was term limited
and unable to seek re-election.
Kulongoski obtained the endorsement of labor unions and the backing of governor Kitzhaber. A poll
before the election showed Kulongoski on 40% ahead of former State Treasurer
Jim Hill
on 23% and Bev Stein on 19%. Lesser known candidates standing in the Democratic primary included William Allen, campaigning on the belief that Oregon
paid too much money to the federal government and should consider seceding
, and Caleb Burns standing to reform Oregon's schools.
Kulongoski won the primary with 49% of the vote against 26% for Jim Hill and 22% for Bev Stein.
Kevin Mannix defeated the state Commissioner of Labor and Industries
Jack Roberts
and former Portland
school board
member Ron Saxton
.
One poll before the primary showed Saxton ahead on 30% against 27% for both Mannix and Roberts. However another poll showed Mannix ahead on 29% against 27% for Saxton and Roberts on 19%. Other candidates in the Republican primary included W. Ames Curtright, who called himself the 'flying governor' as he planned to fly his plane around the state keeping in touch with the people and Roger Weidner who was running to change the court system.
Source: 2002 Gubernatorial Republican Primary Election Results - Oregon
s. Tom Cox for the Libertarian party
and two write in candidates
, Richard Alevizos and Gary Spanovich, also stood in the election.
The departure of Kitzhaber, who had opposed plans to build a Columbia Gorge casino
, was considered an opportunity for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
. Tribes invested record amounts of money into Oregon politics in this race, including $40,000 supporting Kulongoski. Kulongoski did not take a position on the issue during the campaign, but later became a supporter of the plan.
Kulongoski campaigned using a motor home
and his many visits to bowling alleys
became a trademark of his campaign. Early in the campaign Kulongoski held a large lead over Mannix in the polls but the gap narrowed as the election neared after Mannix put Kulongoski on the defensive. Mannix characterised Kulongoski as a strong tax and spender
after he endorsed a proposed 313 million dollar
income tax rise to avoid cuts in education and other areas. He also attacked Kulongoski for being soft on crime. A poll in October showed Kulongoski on 45%, only 4 percent ahead of Mannix on 41%.
Mannix conceded the election on 6 November 2002 after Kulongoski secured a decisive lead in the vote count. The Libertarian candidate Tom Cox claimed that he was responsible for Kulongoski's victory as his exit poll
s suggested he took twice as many Republican votes as Democratic votes.
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
. Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Ted Kulongoski
Ted Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Kevin Mannix
Kevin Mannix
Kevin Leese Mannix is a politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.Mannix has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Democrat and, later, a Republican...
.
Democratic primary
Former Oregon Supreme CourtOregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
justice
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Ted Kulongoski won the Democratic primary on May 21, 2002, to gain the party's nomination. Incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
was term limited
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
and unable to seek re-election.
Kulongoski obtained the endorsement of labor unions and the backing of governor Kitzhaber. A poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
before the election showed Kulongoski on 40% ahead of former State Treasurer
Oregon State Treasurer
The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads the Oregon State Treasury, and with the Governor...
Jim Hill
Jim Hill (Oregon politician)
Jim Hill is an attorney, financial consultant, and politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. He served two terms as Oregon State Treasurer from January 4, 1993 to January 1, 2001.-Education and personal:...
on 23% and Bev Stein on 19%. Lesser known candidates standing in the Democratic primary included William Allen, campaigning on the belief that Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
paid too much money to the federal government and should consider seceding
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
, and Caleb Burns standing to reform Oregon's schools.
Kulongoski won the primary with 49% of the vote against 26% for Jim Hill and 22% for Bev Stein.
Republican primary
The Republican saw a close race between three main candidates. Conservative lawyer and former State RepresentativeOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
Kevin Mannix defeated the state Commissioner of Labor and Industries
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries is an agency in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is headed by the Commissioner of Labor and Industries, a nonpartisan, statewide elective office. The term of office is four years...
Jack Roberts
Jack Roberts (Oregon politician)
Jack Roberts is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Republican, his highest office has been Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, which he held from 1995 to 2003...
and former Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
school board
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
member Ron Saxton
Ron Saxton
Ronald L. Saxton is an American lawyer and Republican politician in Oregon. A native of Oregon, his first public office was with the Portland Public Schools Board...
.
One poll before the primary showed Saxton ahead on 30% against 27% for both Mannix and Roberts. However another poll showed Mannix ahead on 29% against 27% for Saxton and Roberts on 19%. Other candidates in the Republican primary included W. Ames Curtright, who called himself the 'flying governor' as he planned to fly his plane around the state keeping in touch with the people and Roger Weidner who was running to change the court system.
| Candidate | # of votes | % of votes |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Mannix Kevin Mannix Kevin Leese Mannix is a politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.Mannix has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Democrat and, later, a Republican... |
117,194 | 35.2 |
| Jack Roberts Jack Roberts (Oregon politician) Jack Roberts is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Republican, his highest office has been Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, which he held from 1995 to 2003... |
98,008 | 29.5 |
| Ron Saxton Ron Saxton Ronald L. Saxton is an American lawyer and Republican politician in Oregon. A native of Oregon, his first public office was with the Portland Public Schools Board... |
93,484 | 28.1 |
| Ames Curtwright | 10,986 | 3.3 |
| Roger Weidner | 7,395 | 2.2 |
| Miscellaneous | 3,242 | 1.0 |
| Lee Shindler | 2,266 | 0.7 |
Source: 2002 Gubernatorial Republican Primary Election Results - Oregon
Campaign
Kulongoski focused on education, his support for gay rights and the Oregon Death with Dignity law. Mannix campaigned on his plans to cut taxes to stimulate the economy of Oregon and encouraging partnerships between businesses and collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s. Tom Cox for the Libertarian party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
and two write in candidates
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
, Richard Alevizos and Gary Spanovich, also stood in the election.
The departure of Kitzhaber, who had opposed plans to build a Columbia Gorge casino
Columbia Gorge casino
The Columbia Gorge casino is a casino proposed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, a group of Indian tribes in the U.S. state of Oregon. They have sought to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge since at least 1999. Current plans call for a facility with 250 hotel rooms in the city...
, was considered an opportunity for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is a federally recognized confederation of Native American Tribes who currently live on and govern the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in the U.S...
. Tribes invested record amounts of money into Oregon politics in this race, including $40,000 supporting Kulongoski. Kulongoski did not take a position on the issue during the campaign, but later became a supporter of the plan.
Kulongoski campaigned using a motor home
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
and his many visits to bowling alleys
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
became a trademark of his campaign. Early in the campaign Kulongoski held a large lead over Mannix in the polls but the gap narrowed as the election neared after Mannix put Kulongoski on the defensive. Mannix characterised Kulongoski as a strong tax and spender
Tax and spend
"Tax and Spend" is an epithet applied to politicians , programs, and opposing political philosophy by the American center-right, conservative, and libertarian movements. It does have another neutral, objective, connotation i.e. with regard to tax policy or fiscal policy but this usage is...
after he endorsed a proposed 313 million dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
income tax rise to avoid cuts in education and other areas. He also attacked Kulongoski for being soft on crime. A poll in October showed Kulongoski on 45%, only 4 percent ahead of Mannix on 41%.
Mannix conceded the election on 6 November 2002 after Kulongoski secured a decisive lead in the vote count. The Libertarian candidate Tom Cox claimed that he was responsible for Kulongoski's victory as his exit poll
Exit poll
An election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited the polling stations. Unlike an opinion poll, which asks whom the voter plans to vote for or some similar formulation, an exit poll asks whom the voter actually voted for. A similar poll conducted before actual...
s suggested he took twice as many Republican votes as Democratic votes.