Rick Dancer
Encyclopedia
Rick Dancer is an American journalist and politician in the state of Oregon
. A native of Hillsboro
, he was a longtime anchor for KEZI
television in Eugene
. Among his other activities as anchor, he covered the Thurston High School shooting. He later left broadcasting to run as a Republican for Oregon Secretary of State
, losing in the general election to Democrat Kate Brown
in 2008.
. He grew up there with three sisters and lived in Hillsboro for his first 24 years, graduating from Hillsboro High School in 1977. In high school he worked for the local Copeland Lumber store before attending college at Pacific University
in neighboring Forest Grove
. Dancer graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Pacific in 1983. In Hillsboro, he married Kathy at the United Methodist Church that same year, and they would have two sons, Jess and Jake.
in 1985 and was a reporter in Coquille
and Coos Bay
at KCBY
. Dancer then moved to Eugene, Oregon
, in 1987 and worked as a television reporter for KVAL-TV
. After a few years he moved to KEZI
in 1989, the ABC affiliate in Eugene and continued as a reporter until becoming an anchor a year later. In 1998, he was one of the first reporters to arrive at Thurston High School
in Springfield
after the shooting spree by Kip Kinkel
. While covering the story he started to cry while on camera, which angered him, but led to additional interviews with students as they felt he cared about the students. In February 2008, he announced he was leaving KEZI in order to run for public office.
as a Republican. He won the primary unopposed and then faced Democratic state senator Kate Brown
in the fall election. His campaign focused on advocating for converting the Secretary of State position into a non-partisan position, and also supported Ballot Measure 65
that would have created an open primary system. He ran on a the premise of being an outsider having never been in office before, while Brown touted her experience in public office.
Dancer raised around $365,000 in his campaign through late October, compared to around $750,000 for Brown. The biggest of his contributions came from timber companies. Dancer pulled within six percentage points in polling in late October. Brown won the November general election defeating Dancer and Pacific Green Party candidate Seth Woolley. Dancer garnered 785,740 votes compared to 873,968 for Brown. Dancer was mentioned as a possible candidate to run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon
in 2010.
Dancer is part of a group of filmmakers who began production in 2010 on a documentary film about former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield.
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...
. A native of Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, he was a longtime anchor for KEZI
KEZI
KEZI is a digital broadcast television station operating in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is the ABC affiliate for Eugene and produces more than 24 hours of newscasts a week...
television in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. Among his other activities as anchor, he covered the Thurston High School shooting. He later left broadcasting to run as a Republican for Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
, losing in the general election to Democrat Kate Brown
Kate Brown (politician)
Kate Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, She is the current Oregon Secretary of State and was elected to that office in the 2008 elections. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Brown served in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 21st senate district,...
in 2008.
Early life
Rick Dancer was born on June 30, 1959, to Roy and Betty Dancer in Hillsboro, OregonHillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
. He grew up there with three sisters and lived in Hillsboro for his first 24 years, graduating from Hillsboro High School in 1977. In high school he worked for the local Copeland Lumber store before attending college at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in neighboring Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
. Dancer graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Pacific in 1983. In Hillsboro, he married Kathy at the United Methodist Church that same year, and they would have two sons, Jess and Jake.
Television
After college Dancer moved to the southern Oregon CoastOregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
in 1985 and was a reporter in Coquille
Coquille, Oregon
Coquille is a city that is the county seat of Coos County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 4,215 residents. The primary economic base is the timber industry...
and Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
at KCBY
KVAL-TV
KVAL-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Eugene, Oregon, USA. It is an affiliate of the CBS network. The station began broadcasting on April 15, 1954...
. Dancer then moved to Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, in 1987 and worked as a television reporter for KVAL-TV
KVAL-TV
KVAL-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Eugene, Oregon, USA. It is an affiliate of the CBS network. The station began broadcasting on April 15, 1954...
. After a few years he moved to KEZI
KEZI
KEZI is a digital broadcast television station operating in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is the ABC affiliate for Eugene and produces more than 24 hours of newscasts a week...
in 1989, the ABC affiliate in Eugene and continued as a reporter until becoming an anchor a year later. In 1998, he was one of the first reporters to arrive at Thurston High School
Thurston High School
Thurston High School is a public high school located in the Thurston area of Springfield, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 80% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma...
in Springfield
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
after the shooting spree by Kip Kinkel
Kip Kinkel
Kipland Philip "Kip" Kinkel is an American spree killer. In May 1998, at the age of 15, he murdered his parents and engaged in a school shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon that left two students dead and 22 others wounded...
. While covering the story he started to cry while on camera, which angered him, but led to additional interviews with students as they felt he cared about the students. In February 2008, he announced he was leaving KEZI in order to run for public office.
Political career
The day after leaving television, he official started his campaign for Oregon Secretary of StateOregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
as a Republican. He won the primary unopposed and then faced Democratic state senator Kate Brown
Kate Brown (politician)
Kate Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, She is the current Oregon Secretary of State and was elected to that office in the 2008 elections. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Brown served in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 21st senate district,...
in the fall election. His campaign focused on advocating for converting the Secretary of State position into a non-partisan position, and also supported Ballot Measure 65
Oregon Ballot Measure 65 (2008)
Ballot Measure 65 was an initiated state statute ballot measure for the November 4, 2008 general election ballot in the state of Oregon. If it had passed, it would have replaced the current closed primary election system, in which only registered members of a political party may vote in that...
that would have created an open primary system. He ran on a the premise of being an outsider having never been in office before, while Brown touted her experience in public office.
Dancer raised around $365,000 in his campaign through late October, compared to around $750,000 for Brown. The biggest of his contributions came from timber companies. Dancer pulled within six percentage points in polling in late October. Brown won the November general election defeating Dancer and Pacific Green Party candidate Seth Woolley. Dancer garnered 785,740 votes compared to 873,968 for Brown. Dancer was mentioned as a possible candidate to run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon
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....
in 2010.
Dancer is part of a group of filmmakers who began production in 2010 on a documentary film about former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield.
External links
- Who is Rick Dancer? – Willamette WeekWillamette WeekWillamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
- Christian journalists fear public may behold a bias – The Register-GuardThe Register-GuardThe Register-Guard is a daily newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the Eugene Daily Guard and the Morning Register. The paper serves the Eugene-Springfield area, as well as the Oregon Coast, Umpqua River Valley, and surrounding...
- This Just In: I'm Running for Office – FOX News
- Some question TV anchor's candidacy announcement on air – KATUKATUKATU, virtual channel 2, also known as K2, is an ABC-affiliated television station broadcasting on digital channel 43 in Portland, Oregon, USA. It has been owned by Fisher Communications of Seattle, Washington, which has been the owner of the Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, ever since it began...
- Nevada millionaire a major donor to Dancer campaign – KATUKATUKATU, virtual channel 2, also known as K2, is an ABC-affiliated television station broadcasting on digital channel 43 in Portland, Oregon, USA. It has been owned by Fisher Communications of Seattle, Washington, which has been the owner of the Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, ever since it began...