Wilson's logo |
The Oregon governor's race now has six contenders officially filed, though one (Democrat Steve Shields) has dropped. There are also Democrats John Kitzhaber and Bill Bradbury, and Republicans Chris Dudley and Allen Alley.
And there's Jerry Wilson.
Wilson, of Hillsboro, launched the Soloflex exercise business and evidently made a pile. Yesterday, he set up a web site and sent a press release announcing his campaign for governor of Oregon as a Republican. Whatever else, the guy sounds lively and probably has a fine sense of humor - by all means take a moment and read. His press release take on political parties, for example: "If elected I will ban them from the state. Should any agents of this criminal enterprise show up to do their dirty work here I’ll have them tarred and feathered."
Still, he decided to run for for a major party nomination because "he decided against running in a minor party because he didn't think that gave him enough of a platform." His press release said he flipped a coin and it came up Republican. So.
Except . . . Wilson turns out to be a registered Democrat, and to run in the May primary you have to a member of the party whose nomination you seek for 180 days, and that deadline has passed.
When the Oregonian's Jeff Mapes pointed this out to him, he said, "I guess I'll just run as a Democrat."
Okay . . . except that's not the end of it either. A check today shows the secretary of state's database lists him as a candidate of the Progressive Party. (Yes, a minor party, of the sort that hadn't seemed to interest him.)
Minor parties nominate through party conventions in June, not in the May primary. The Oregon Progressive Party didn't offer much comment other than to offer a link to Wilson's web site.
Three parties in a little over a day may be a record.