Vicki Walker

Last updated

Walker was critical of Governor Ted Kulongoski, a fellow Democrat, on many issues and considered challenging his bid for re-election in 2006, but ultimately did not run.

On September 6, 2005, Walker stated, "I'm tired of the status quo, I'm not one of the good ol' boys. The good ol' boys have had a stranglehold over this state for a long time." [3] Walker, who had run only for offices in the Willamette Valley, would have faced an uphill battle in a statewide race. Fellow Democrat Pete Sorenson, another Willamette Valley Democrat who did run for governor in 2006, predicted that Walker would have a hard time raising money for her campaign. A poll done by Mike Riley in late 2005 showed Walker and several other Democratic challengers in single digits. [4]

Another factor that loomed over Walker's gubernatorial candidacy was the possibility that former two-term Governor John Kitzhaber might enter the race. A December 1, 2005 article asserted that Kitzhaber was considering challenging his successor, Kulongoski. Walker said "I wouldn't run against John Kitzhaber. That's the deciding factor." [5]

On January 13, 2006, Kitzhaber said that he would not enter the race, leaving the door open for a possible run by Walker. [6]

However, Walker announced on February 1, 2006 that she would not seek the office, but would instead listen to voters in her State Senate District and run for re-election. [7]

Goldschmidt scandal

Walker, a sexual assault victim, is partially responsible for forcing former governor Neil Goldschmidt to admit publicly that he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 1975 which lasted three years. Goldschmidt was Mayor of Portland at the time the relationship took place. Walker received the information from Portland Tribune Columnist Phil Stanford about the scandal, though it reportedly was not enough proof to go public. Walker was a longtime critic of Goldschmidt and tried unsuccessfully to prevent his appointment to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in January 2004. [8]

A few months later, Walker passed the documents she had received from Stanford to a Willamette Week newspaper reporter. On May 6, 2004, Goldschmidt confessed publicly to the relationship after being told that an article in Willamette Week was going to be printed about the scandal. The story appeared in the paper less than a week later, and revealed that close friends and colleagues had kept quiet about the relationship for 30 years. Goldschmidt subsequently resigned from the Oregon State Bar and the Board of Higher Education. [9]

Campaign for Secretary of State

At the conclusion of the 2007 legislative session, Walker announced her candidacy for Oregon Secretary of State in 2008. [10] She finished third in the Democratic primary to Kate Brown and Rick Metsger. [11]

Later career

In 2009, Walker was nominated by Governor Ted Kulongoski to a four-year term as chair of Oregon's Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision. She resigned from the Oregon State Senate on July 12, 2009, to begin her new position. [12] In September of that year she withdrew herself for consideration for the position on the board prior to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. [13] Walker did this after state government revenue forecasts determined the state would take in less money than anticipated, and thus a fourth position on the board would not be created as Governor Kulongoski had expected. [13] Walker then took a temporary position with the parole board to last until the end of the year. [13]

On October 30, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that Walker had been appointed as Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [14]

Personal life

Walker and her husband Steven live in Eugene, and have two adult children, Adam and Sara.

Electoral history

Vicki Walker
Vicki Walker 2015.jpg
Walker in 2009
Member of the Oregon State Senate
from the 7th district
In office
2003–2009
2006 Oregon State Senator, 7th district [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Vicki L. Walker 25,667 51.6
Republican Jim Torrey 23,96248.2
Write-in 1340.3
Total votes49,763 100%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Kulongoski</span> American judge and politician

Theodore Ralph Kulongoski is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and also served as the state Insurance Commissioner. He was the Attorney General of Oregon from 1993 to 1997 and a justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1997 to 2001. Kulongoski has served in all three branches of the Oregon state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Goldschmidt</span> American politician (1940–2024)

Neil Edward Goldschmidt was an American businessman and Democratic politician from the state of Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as mayor of Portland, Oregon, the United States Secretary of Transportation under President Jimmy Carter and governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt was at one time considered the most powerful and influential figure in Oregon's politics. In 2004, Goldschmidt's career and legacy were irreparably damaged by revelations of the ongoing sexual abuse of a young teenage girl beginning in 1973, during his first term as mayor of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kitzhaber</span> Former governor of Oregon

John Albert Kitzhaber is an American former politician and physician who served as the 35th and 37th governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. In February 2015, shortly after beginning his fourth term, Kitzhaber resigned from office and was replaced by Secretary of State Kate Brown. A member of the Democratic Party, Kitzhaber was the longest-serving governor in the state's history.

<i>Willamette Week</i> Alternative weekly newspaper in Portland, Oregon, United States

Willamette Week (WW) is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Jaquiss</span> American journalist

Nigel Jaquiss is an American journalist who won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, for his work exposing former Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl while he was mayor of Portland, Oregon. His story was published in Willamette Week in May 2004. He continues to write for Willamette Week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Mannix</span> American politician (born 1949)

Kevin Leese Mannix is an American politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Westlund</span> American politician

Bernard John "Ben" Westlund II was an American politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he was elected State Treasurer in 2008. Previously, Westlund served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Republican from 1996 to 2006, as an independent from 2006 to 2007, and then as a Democrat. Westlund dropped his Republican party affiliation to run for Governor of Oregon in the 2006 election, but dropped out of the race in August. In December 2006 he became a Democrat. Westlund worked as a business analyst, and ran businesses in mining, ranching, and agriculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Bradbury</span> American politician (1949–2023)

Bill Bradbury was an American politician who served as a member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and as the 23rd Oregon secretary of state from 1999 to 2009. Bradbury was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election. In 2010, he was appointed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.

Ronald L. Saxton is an American lawyer, business person, and Republican politician in Oregon. He has run twice for Governor of Oregon, losing in the 2002 primary election, and winning the Republican nomination in 2006, but losing in the general election.

The Oregon Health Plan is Oregon's state Medicaid program. It is overseen by the Oregon Health Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Oregon gubernatorial election</span>

The 2002 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term; he later successfully ran again in 2010 and 2014. To replace him, former Oregon Supreme Court Associate Justice Ted Kulongoski won a crowded and competitive Democratic primary, while former State Representative Kevin Mannix emerged from an equally competitive Republican primary. The campaign between Kulongoski and Mannix, who were joined by Libertarian nominee Tom Cox, was close and went down to the wire. Ultimately, Kulongoski eked out a narrow margin of victory over Mannix, which was slightly smaller than Cox's total vote share, allowing Kulongoski to win what would be the first of two terms as governor. As of 2023, this is the last time that Oregon voted for a gubernatorial nominee and a U.S. Senate nominee of different political parties.

In the first decade of the 2000s, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs sought to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge. They ended their pursuit of the project in 2013. They considered various sites, as early as 1999; the most extensive plan called for a 60-acre (24 ha) facility with 250 hotel rooms in Cascade Locks, Oregon. The proposed site is within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and adjacent to a federally designated wilderness area, but within the city limits of Cascade Locks..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betsy Johnson</span> American politician (born 1951)

Elizabeth Katharine "Betsy" Johnson is an American aviator, entrepreneur, and politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from the 1st and 31st House districts from 2001 to 2005, and in the Oregon Senate from the 16th district from 2005 to 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to her tenure in the state legislature she served on the Port of St. Helens board and worked in the Oregon Department of Transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Oregon gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Oregon to a four-year term beginning on January 10, 2011. The incumbent governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, was ineligible to run due to term limits barring him from being elected to more than two consecutive terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate election in Oregon</span>

The 1980 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican candidate Bob Packwood was re-elected to a third term, defeating Democratic state senator Ted Kulongoski and Libertarian Tonie Nathan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Rosenblum</span> American politician

Ellen F. Rosenblum is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Oregon Attorney General since 2012. She is the first female state attorney general in Oregon's history, and previously was a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 2005 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Oregon elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Oregon on November 8, 2016. Primary elections were held on May 17, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Oregon gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Oregon. Incumbent Kate Brown took office when fellow Democrat John Kitzhaber resigned on February 18, 2015. She won the subsequent 2016 special election a full term in 2018. Due to term limits, she was unable to run again in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Oregon elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Oregon on November 3, 2020. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon were held on November 5, 2024, to elect the 6 U.S. representatives from the State of Oregon, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections occurred on May 21, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Rogues of the Week:A substantial contingent of the Oregon Legislature". Willamette Week. 2006-04-19. Archived from the original on 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  2. ↑ Spam Legislation: 2003 Archived 2003-08-15 at archive.today
  3. ↑ "Eugene Democrat aims to challenge Kulongoski". The Oregonian. September 6, 2005.
  4. ↑ Brad Cain (December 1, 2005). "Sen. holding off while Kitzhaber ponders gov. race". KGW. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  5. ↑ David Steves (December 1, 2005). "Walker puts decision on hold". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 2006-11-13.[ dead link ]
  6. ↑ Ley Garnett (January 13, 2006). "Kitzhaber Passes On 2006 Governor's Race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  7. ↑ Cain, Brad (February 1, 2006). "Eugene senator decides not to run for governor". KATU TV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 3, 2006.
  8. ↑ Nigel Jaquiss (June 30, 2004). "Breaking Silence". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  9. ↑ Nigel Jaquiss (May 12, 2005). "The 30-Year Secret". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2006-11-10. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  10. ↑ "Vicki Walker jumps into race for secretary of state". The Oregonian. June 28, 2007. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved July 27, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Content Manager WebDrawer - 2008 Primary Election Official Results". Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  12. ↑ Steves, David (July 10, 2009). "Walker accepts new post". The Register Guard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  13. 1 2 3 Goldsmith, Susan (September 25, 2009). "Vicki Walker won't lead Oregon Parole Board". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  14. ↑ Steves, David (October 30, 2009). "Walker wins federal post". The Register Guard. Archived from the original on 2016-01-14. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  15. ↑ "Official Results | November 7, 2006". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.