Oregon Secretary of State
| Secretary of State of Oregon | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Inaugural holder | Lucien Heath |
| Formation | Oregon Constitution |
| Website | Oregon Secretary of State |
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor.[1] The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public records. Additionally, the Secretary of State serves on the Oregon State Land Board and chairs the Oregon Sustainability Board. Following every United States Census, if the Oregon Legislative Assembly cannot come to agreement over changes to legislative redistricting, the duty falls to the Secretary of State.
Jeanne Atkins is the current Secretary of State, having taken office on March 11, 2015, after her appointment by Governor Kate Brown.[2] She is a Democrat. Because Atkins was appointed rather than elected, she is not included in the line of succession, and the first in line to the governorship is Treasurer Ted Wheeler.[3]
Divisions
- Archives Division maintains the official records of Oregon government, provides public access to them, and publishes the Oregon Blue Book and the Oregon Administrative Rules. Established in 1947, the division is located in the Cecil L. Edwards Archives Building in downtown Salem on the capitol mall.[4]
- Audits Division provides oversight of public spending. The department began in 1929 and oversees state agency compliance with accounting rules, reports on the performance of state departments, and oversees the standards for audits of local governments within Oregon, among other tasks.[5]
- Corporation Division handles filings relating to company law, including formation of corporations and other businesses and organizations, and other matters related to the Uniform Commercial Code. They are also in charge of operating the notaries public system.
- Elections Division performs administrative and oversight duties with respect to elections in concert with the County governments, maintains a central voter registry, and publishes the Voters' Pamphlet. These duties include working with the referendum, initiative, and recall process and accepting the registration of candidates for elective office.
- Executive Division oversees the other four divisions of the office. The Secretary of State's office is located in the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.
List of Oregon Secretaries of State
Provisional government (1841–1849)
Five individuals served as Clerk and Recorder, the predecessor office to Secretary of State:
- George W. LeBreton, February 18, 1841 – March 4, 1844
- Overton Johnson, March 4, 1844 – May 25, 1844
- John E. Long, May 25, 1844 – June 21, 1846
- Frederick Prigg, June 26, 1846 – September 16, 1848
- Samuel M. Holderness, September 19, 1848 – March 10, 1849
Territorial government (1849–1859)
Oregon's first Territorial Secretary was elected by the legislature, to serve until his successors could be appointed by the President of the United States.
| # | Image | Name | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Theophilus R. Magruder | Whig | March 10, 1849 – April 9, 1849 |
| 2 | | Kintzing Prichette | Democratic | April 9, 1849 – September 18, 1850 |
| 3 | | Edward D. Hamilton | Whig | September 18, 1850 – May 14, 1853 |
| 4 |  | George L. Curry | Democratic | May 14, 1853 – January 27, 1855 |
| 5 |  | Benjamin Harding | Democratic | January 27, 1855 – March 3, 1859 |
Oregon State government (1859–present)
| # | Name | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Lucien Heath | Democratic | March 3, 1859 – September 8, 1862 |
| 2 | |
Samuel E. May | Republican | September 8, 1862 – September 10, 1870 |
| 3 |  |
Stephen F. Chadwick | Democratic | September 10, 1870 – September 2, 1878 |
| 4 | |
Rockey Earhart | Republican | September 2, 1878 – January 10, 1887 |
| 5 |  |
George W. McBride | Republican | January 10, 1887 – January 14, 1895 |
| 6 | |
Harrison R. Kincaid | Republican | January 14, 1895 – January 9, 1899 |
| 7 | |
Frank L. Dunbar | Republican | January 9, 1899 – January 14, 1907 |
| 8 |  |
Frank W. Benson | Republican | January 15, 1907 – April 14, 1911 |
| 9 |  |
Ben W. Olcott | Republican | April 17, 1911 – May 28, 1920 |
| 10 |  |
Sam A. Kozer | Republican | May 28, 1920 – September 24, 1928 |
| 11 | |
Hal E. Hoss | Republican | September 24, 1928 – February 6, 1934 |
| 12 | |
Peter J. Stadelman | Republican | February 9, 1934 – January 7, 1935 |
| 13 | |
Earl Snell | Republican | January 7, 1935 – January 4, 1943 |
| 14 | |
Robert S. Farrell | Republican | January 4, 1943 – October 28, 1947 |
| 15 | |
Earl T. Newbry | Republican | November 3, 1947 – January 7, 1957 |
| 16 |  |
Mark Hatfield | Republican | January 7, 1957 – January 12, 1959 |
| 17 | |
Howell Appling | Republican | January 12, 1959 – January 4, 1965 |
| 18 |  |
Tom McCall | Republican | January 4, 1965 – January 9, 1967 |
| 19 |  |
Clay Myers | Republican | January 9, 1967 – January 3, 1977 |
| 20 |  |
Norma Paulus | Republican | January 3, 1977 – January 7, 1985 |
| 21 |  |
Barbara Roberts | Democratic | January 7, 1985 – January 14, 1991 |
| 22 | |
Phil Keisling | Democratic | January 14, 1991 – November 8, 1999 |
| 23 |  |
Bill Bradbury | Democratic | November 8, 1999 – January 5, 2009 |
| 24 |  |
Kate Brown | Democratic | January 5, 2009 – February 18, 2015 |
| 25 |  |
Jeanne Atkins | Democratic | March 11, 2015 – January 2017 |
| 26 |  |
Dennis Richardson | Republican | January 2017 |
List of living Secretaries of State
As of March 2015, five former Secretaries of State were alive. The most recent death of a former secretary of state was that of Mark Hatfield (1957–1959), on August 7, 2011.
| Secretary of State | Secretary of State term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Norma Paulus | 1977–1985 | March 13, 1933 |
| Barbara Roberts | 1985–1991 | December 21, 1936 |
| Phil Keisling | 1991–1999 | June 23, 1955 |
| Bill Bradbury | 1999–2009 | May 29, 1949 |
| Kate Brown | 2009–2015 | June 21, 1960 |
See also
References
- ↑ "Constitution of Oregon (Article V)". Oregon Blue Book. State of Oregon. 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ Kullgren, Ian (March 11, 2015). "Jeanne Atkins sworn in as Oregon Secretary of State". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ↑ Lehman, Chris (March 6, 2015). "Jeanne Atkins Named Oregon's Next Secretary Of State". KUOW. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ↑ About Us. Oregon State Archives, accessed October 31, 2007.
- ↑ Oregon Audits Division. Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division, accessed February 16, 2012.
- "Secretaries of State of Oregon". Oregon Blue Book (online). Oregon Secretary of State. 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-26.
- "Secretary of State: Administrative Overview" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. September 2001. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
External links
 Oregon statewide elected officials | |
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