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Three Statewide Officeholders Take The Oath In Oregon

Kelly Wilde/June Lion Photography

Three statewide officeholders took the oath of office in Oregon Monday.
 
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is starting her third term and Treasurer Tobias Read is starting his second term. Both are Democrats.
 
Another Democrat, Shemia Fagan, took the oath as Oregon Secretary of State for the first time. She was sworn in during a private ceremony on the steps of her former elementary school in rural Wasco County.
Fagan told reporters in a conference call aftewards that one of her first tasks will be to hire a new elections director. The previous director, Steve Trout, was fired abruptly following the November 2020 election.
 
Fagan's victory means Democrats once again hold every statewide office in Oregon. Republican Dennis Richardson was elected Secretary of State in 2016, but he died in office. Gov. Kate Brown appointed another Republican, Bev Clarno, to fill out the remainder of Richardson's term. 
 
Clarno did not seek election to a full term, and state Sen. Kim Thatcher won the GOP nomination for the office last year. Fagan defeated Thatcher in the general election in November. 

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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