Tara is a Fellow at FairVote.

Kate Brown proved less isn’t more. Brown outspent, garnered more endorsements from the state’s newspapers and organizations – and yesterday got more votes.

Last night, Brown was declared the Democratic Secretary of State candidate, winning against Senators Rick Metsger, Vicki Walker and Voting Advocate Paul Damian Wells with 51 percent of the vote.

Brown, who will run against Republican Rick Dancer, a former television reporter and newcomer to the political scene, recently participated in a debate sponsored by Oregon’s Alliance for Democracy and of Portland’s First Unitarian Church Democracy Action Group in which she supported Instant Run-Off Voting (IRV).

IRV eliminates the three is a crowd mantra from our voting system. IRV elects candidates who have majority support, which is different from our current plurality voting, where the candidate with the most votes wins. Plurality voting is unfair when more than two candidates. IRV accommodates voters having better choices and encourages winning candidates to reach out to more people. In addition, this system will rid political spoilers and encourages new candidates as well as new ideas.

FairVote participated in the debate through our Democracy SoS Project. The goal is to shine a spotlight on the secretary of state’s race and learn about the candidate’s platform, plans and policy positions that help or hinder the voting process.

FairVote’s Democracy SoS Coalition will soon be sending both of these candidates a survey to find out more about Dancer and Brown.

Stay tuned…

Other posts by Tara J Young

• Oregon's Secretary of State race is Set. Kate Brown (D) will run against Rick Dancer (R) - May 21st, 2008
• Oregon voters will Decide if Less is More - May 19th, 2008
• West Virginia nominates candidates for Secretary of State - May 14th, 2008
• Nuns, turned away. No room for those without ID - May 6th, 2008
• It’s Hot in Oregon and it’s not the Weather - May 2nd, 2008
• Are You a Missing Voter? Got Milk? - May 1st, 2008
• FairVote goes to Philly; Young Citizens want a New Habit - March 19th, 2008
• James E. Orange, Voting Rights Pioneer, dead but never forgotten - March 4th, 2008
• Democracy Withheld for 299 Virginia Residents - February 29th, 2008