Before Eugene Weekly issues its November election endorsements, I urge the editors to look closely at what is arguably the most important statewide race.

The secretary of state is Oregon’s chief elections officer. We should expect that person to honor voter decisions and protect and promote citizen participation in the political process.

Shemia Fagan has done exactly the opposite. During her time in the Legislature she joined her fellow Democrats, including all of them from Lane County, in violating two voter mandates (Measures 97 and 88) via House Bills 3427 and 2015. Fagan and her colleagues, using an underhanded political move (HB 2164), killed the citizen referendum against their multi-billion-dollar gross receipts tax.

They continued their assault against voters with bogus “emergency” clauses to prevent referendums and with Senate Bill 761 which suppressed citizen initiatives. In summary, Fagan’s message to voters is “Shut up and obey — and don’t you dare challenge our decisions!” Is this the kind of representation we want from our Secretary of State?

Kim Thatcher opposed the foregoing abuses. She has repeatedly tried to rein in the use of fraudulent “emergency” clauses only to have the Democrat majority consign these efforts to the trash bin. Thatcher will protect the election process. She will respect voters and their decisions and won’t try to revoke them. She deserves our votes on Nov. 3. Fagan most assuredly does not.

Jerry Ritter

Springfield