Johnson

Oregon has been a state with two parties and one-party rule. One party believed it heard from voters and was channeling what was right for Oregon and the other believed it had to shut down the Legislature to be heard.

It’s been worse than gridlock. It’s been dysfunction.

If we elect another Democratic governor in Tina Kotek, it’s not a terrible stretch to assume the ideological schism will continue to be stretched. If we elect a Republican governor in Christine Drazan, more partisan head-butting is almost a sure bet. We are endorsing Betsy Johnson for governor, an independent, who has been a Democrat and a Republican.

No, we can’t say Johnson is going to solve partisan or ideological disagreement in the state, nor in the Legislature. Johnson’s aim is to force Ds and Rs to work together before she will sign a bill. It’s a simple idea. It’s the way the Legislature should be working. We think her election will help create better laws, better policies, better government.

Johnson is socially tolerant and fiscally responsible. That resonates strongly with us.

Will people who want to curtail abortion rights get what they want out of Johnson? No. Will people who want to take guns away or reverse Oregon’s gun safety laws get what they want out of Johnson? No.

Johnson supports abortion rights. She believes Oregon needs to consider additional gun safety measures rooted in common sense.

Her critics will point to this vote or that vote by Johnson in the Legislature and say she is anti-labor, anti-business, anti-environment, anti-whatever. The truth is never that simple. She is certainly anti-pandering to niches of Oregonians. And she will deliver straight talk.

We don’t buy the argument that Oregonians need to stick to the two main parties. A rebuke would do them both some good.

Kotek and Drazan are certainly far from terrible choices. But there’s good reason why Democrats like former governor Ted Kulongski and Republicans like former U.S. Senator Gordon Smith turned away from their parties to endorse Johnson.

“We have both worked with Betsy, and we know she has the courage, the common sense, and the ability to find common ground needed to get Oregon moving in the right direction,” they said.

So we endorse Johnson for governor. Consider our opinion and please do vote — no matter who you think will make the best governor.