Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson may well be in a fight for his life. He made public his diagnosis with brain cancer in early June, though he has not said what sort of cancer he has nor the treatment he’s receiving for it, nor has he indicated he plans to step down.

Were he to do so, Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, would be required to appoint a successor who, like Richardson, is a Republican. But she also says she’d only choose someone who would not later run for the office.

That’s no way to go about selecting a replacement. Brown should choose the best Republican for the job, with no limits on that person’s political future.

Oregonians deserve a secretary of state who will run the office well, nothing more and nothing less. The governor should not use her power to appoint as a lever to determine who can run for the office.