Sorry for the gap in blog posts; I've been extremely busy as campaign season cranks up... which brings me to a race I've haven't discussed much: the Democratic primary for Oregon's Secretary of State. I'd been firmly undecided for a while, but recently I started leaning in support of State Senator Kate Brown. I finally took the plunge this morning when I saw this new video:

That, and the previous video featuring Governor Barbara Roberts, sold me. The personal touch on the above story is a winner: it's a story that really makes you take pause. Mr. Plunkett's sincerity and passion show you straight-up what he thinks of Kate, and is just what I look for when I come to deciding on a race. And I also approve of the cute riff on the UPS ad series.

Wholly, Kate's experience and record in the state senate also are a big plus. And the fact that she touts the integrity of elections as a paramount campaign plank is crucial, and reminds me of how Debra Bowen ran for Secretary of State in California.

At the same time, I always take a long look at a candidate's endorsements. Indeed it's true that a lot can be said about a campaign by its supporters. In that case, many excellent groups and people have Kate's back: she has been endorsed by the Oregon Education Association, the OLCV, the working families of several unions, many basic rights groups, and countless individuals and legislators whom I respect. Indeed, the opinions of these individuals, and discussions I've had with a few close friends who love Kate, went a long way to winning me over.

The Secretary of State race offers many good candidates, once of whom will take on Rick Dancer in November. While my eye's been mostly on the Portland mayoral race and the U.S. Senate primary, I'm happy to say that I've finally found my candidate in this other, very important race.

I've seen many discussions on many blogs about this race, but whom do you support? How did you come to that decision?