Independent Party of Oregon
Encyclopedia
The Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) is a political party in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. The IPO is Oregon's third-largest political party and the largest minor party of the state, with 68,516 registrants since its inception in January 2007 making up 3.37% of Oregon's registered voters. At its current growth rate it is the fastest growing minor party in the state and has surpassed the Republican party in membership increases since its inception. The party experienced a 28.1% increase from January 2010 to January 2011, giving it larger gains than the Democrats (-1.9%) and Republican (0.6%) for 2010.

Membership

The Independent Party of Oregon has exceeded 4 percent of total registered voters in 6 counties:
  • Deschutes Country 4.62%
  • Curry County 4.59%
  • Jefferson County 4.25%
  • Morrow County 4.22%
  • Jackson County 4.14%
  • Linn County 4.03%

History

The Independent Party was formed by voter petition in 2006, after House Bill 2614, a law that made it more difficult for non-affiliated candidates
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

 to run for public office in Oregon, was enacted in 2005 by the Oregon State Legislature. The same Legislature disallowed non-affiliated candidates from being labeled as "independent" on ballots, freeing up the name for use by the Independent Party. (HB 2614 was later repealed at the end of the 2009 legislative session.)

Prominent party members include Portland attorneys, Linda Williams and Dan Meek, former Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

 mayor Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He served eight years as mayor of Eugene. Torrey was a Republican candidate for the 2006 Oregon State Senate. He was defeated by incumbent Vicki Walker...

, and former State Representative
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

s Tony Vanvliet and Bob Pickard.

2007

The IPO was certified by state elections officials on January 24, 2007. The IPO criticized former Oregon Secretary of State
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. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...

 Bill Bradbury
Bill Bradbury
Bill Bradbury is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he grew up in Chicago and Pennsylvania before moving to the West Coast where he worked in broadcast journalism before running for public office. Democrat, he served as Oregon Secretary of State from 1999...

 for refusing to print new voter registration cards that would include that party as a choice. A representative of Bradbury's stated that the decision was based on the cost of printing new registration cards, rather than any intent to harm a party.

2008

The IPO ran eight of its own candidates and cross-nominated four major party candidates in the 2008 election
Oregon state elections, 2008
On November 4, 2008, the US state of Oregon held statewide general elections for three statewide offices , both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and twelve state ballot measures. The primary elections were held on May 20, 2008...

, including Democrats
Democratic Party of Oregon
The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...

 Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...

 and Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund was a 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...

, and Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger is an American businessperson and politician in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, she is a Salem civic leader and a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Her father came up with the idea for the Oregon Bottle Bill.-Early life:Born Vicki Chambers in 1949, she...

, a Republican
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...

. Merkley was nominated by the party after John Frohnmayer, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...

, withdrew his Independent candidacy.
Joel Haugen, a Republican who won the Republican primary in the First Congressional District with more than 70% of the vote was cross-nominated by the Independent Party. The Party asked the Secretary of State to enforce existing Oregon law (ORS
Oregon Revised Statutes
The Oregon Revised Statutes is the codified body of statutory law governing the U.S. state of Oregon, as enacted by the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and occasionally by citizen initiative...

 254.135) and allow Haugen to appear on the ballot as a "Republican, Independent." The Secretary of State refused. After the Independent Party, joined by the Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...

, lost a circuit court decision that would have allowed Haugen to appear on the ballot as "Republican, Independent," Haugen decided to abandon the Republican nomination so that he could appear on the ballot as "Independent" only. The startling result was that there was no "Republican" candidate on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District of Oregon. The parties withdrew their appeal of the Secretary of State's decision, after the Oregon legislature passed SB 326, which repealed some earlier restrictions on non-affiliated candidates and allowed for "fusion lite" voting

The party recognized Waldport
Waldport, Oregon
Waldport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,050 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the Alsea River and Alsea Bay, south of Newport and north of Yachats.-Geography:...

 mayor Herman Welch as the first Independent Party member to hold public office. Other Independents to hold local office are Robert Brundage of Sublimity
Sublimity, Oregon
Sublimity is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 2,148. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Soso Nedjeljko of Butte Falls
Butte Falls, Oregon
Butte Falls is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 423.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-2000 Census data:...

, and Wayne Rofinot of Warren
Warren, Oregon
Warren is an unincorporated community in Columbia County, Oregon, United States located on U.S. Route 30 north of Scappoose and south of St. Helens on Scappoose Bay of the Columbia River....

.

2009

The IPO played a significant role in passing legislation to allow a form of Fusion voting, a reform that allows candidates to list multiple party nominations on the Oregon ballot, and helped repeal the 2006 statute that made it more difficult for non-affiliated candidates to run for public office.

2010

The IPO became the first political party in the United States to conduct a binding statewide Primary Election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....

 entirely over the internet. 86 candidates participated in the election. Former Governor John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, won the party's nomination in a three-person race. 30 Republicans, 28 Democrats, 3 Independents, and a Libertarian were nominated by the party. The election was the largest nominating process ever held by an Oregon minor political party.

2011

The Oregon legislature drew condemnation from 5 Oregon newspaper editorial boards and from two former Secretaries of State for considering legislation that would have forced the Independent Party of Oregon to change its name by the end of the year or be disbanded. .

Growth

The Independent Party of Oregon is one of the largest minor political parties in the United States. From its inception in January 2007 through September 2011, the party added more than 68,000 members, making it the third largest political party in Oregon. As the first chart illustrates, its members account for approximately 40 percent of the net growth in the Oregon electorate from January, 2007 to December, 2010. It is also larger than all other Oregon minor political parties combined, as illustrated in the second chart.

Major Party Growth Comparison

Minor Party Growth Comparison

Mission

According to its bylaws, the Independent Party of Oregon holds a number of positions. The party wants to increase voter participation and involvement. It advocates reform in specific areas of government, wanting to reduce the advantage of incumbency and the influence of campaign contributions on politicians and policy decisions. Areas it singles out for countering special-interest influence are health, education, welfare, and economic security. The party hopes to achieve this through fiscally sound transparent decisions that create a taxation system that benefits all Oregonians.

Organization

As prescribed by Oregon statutes governing minor political parties, the party comprises all registered voters designating their party affiliation as Independent. In accordance with party bylaws, the party consists of members and supporting members. A five-person state council of officers, and at-large delegates elected by the party membership, is responsible for conducting the day-to-day affairs of the party. Candidates are nominated in caucuses, the members of which are supporting members of the party, elected by the party's full membership.

2010 election

In July, 2010, the Independent Party of Oregon became the first Oregon political party to conduct a primary election at its own expense in more than 100 years; the first Oregon political party ever to conduct a binding primary election entirely over the internet; and the first Oregon minor political party to conduct a primary election. More than 2000 Independent Party members voted in the election, which involved 77 candidates, including 39 Democrats, 32 Republicans, a Libertarian and Green, making it the largest nominating process ever held by an Oregon minor political party.

Winners of the IPO Primary election included Governor John Kitzhaber and 30 people who served in the Oregon legislature in 2011. Independent Party member Jeff Caton, who ran in House District 48, won 43 percent of the vote. This was the closest a minor party candidate had come to winning federal or state office in Oregon since at least 1932.

IPO 2010 general election results

Race Candidate Party Result Notes
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...

Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Chris Dudley
Chris Dudley
Christen Guilford "Chris" Dudley is a retired American basketball player who played 16 years and 886 games in the NBA for five different teams. A journeyman center, he was known primarily for his defensive skill as a rebounder and shot blocker...

State Representative, HD1 Wayne Krieger
Wayne Krieger
Wayne Krieger is a Republican politician, retired game warden, and tree farmer from Gold Beach on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. He served on the Oregon State Police Force from 1964 to 1991. He represents District 1 of the Oregon House of Representatives...

*
Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Eldon Rollins
State Representative, HD3 Wally Hicks Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Barbara Gonzales
State Representative, HD9 Arnie Roblan
Arnie Roblan
Arnold L. "Arnie" Roblan is a former educator and a Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He has served in the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 9, which spans the southern Oregon Coast, since 2005...

*
Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated R. Scott Roberts
State Representative, HD10 Jean Cowan* Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Becky Lemler
State Representative, HD11 Phil Barnhart
Phil Barnhart
Phil Barnhart is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 11 since 2003 and District 40 from 2001 to 2003.-External links:* official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Phil Barnhart...

*
Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Kelly Lovelace
State Representative, HD13 Nancy Nathanson
Nancy Nathanson
Nancy Nathanson is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing the 13th district. Nathanson attended Northwestern University, and later the University of Oregon where she received a Bachelor of Science in urban geography.-Eugene City Council:In 1992, Nathanson was...

*
Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Bill Young
State Representative, HD14 Kevin Prociw Independent Lost to Val Hoyle
Val Hoyle
Val Hoyle is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives in District 14, representing West Eugene, Junction City, Cheshire, and Alvadore...

*
State Representative, HD15 Bud Laurent Cross-nominated Democratic Lost to Andy Olson
Andy Olson
Andy Olson is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives for District 15, representing parts of Linn and Benton counties, including the city of Albany...

*
Olson was endorsed by IPO steering committee
State Representative, HD16 Rose Cook Cross-nominated Republican Lost to Sara Gelser
Sara Gelser
Sara Gelser is an American politician from Oregon. She has represented Corvallis and Philomath since 2005. Prior to her service in the legislature, Representative Gelser served on the Corvallis School Board and worked for the Oregon Department of Human Services...

*
State Representative, HD20 Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger is an American businessperson and politician in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, she is a Salem civic leader and a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Her father came up with the idea for the Oregon Bottle Bill.-Early life:Born Vicki Chambers in 1949, she...

*
Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Mike Powers
State Representative, HD21 Marvin Sannes Cross-nominated Republican Lost to Brian Clem
Brian Clem
Brian L. Clem is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 21 . He was first elected in 2006...

*
State Representative, HD22 Betty Komp
Betty Komp
Betty E. Komp is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 22 since 2004.-External links:* official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Betty E Komp** campaign contributions...

*
Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Kathy LeCompte
State Representative, HD23 Jim Thompson* Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Wesley West
State Representative, HD24 Susan Sokol-Blosser Cross-nominated Democratic Lost to Jim Weidner
Jim Weidner
Jim Weidner is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. A Republican, he is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives representing Yamhill County in District 24.-References:...

*
State Representative, HD26 Matt Wingard
Matt Wingard
Matt Wingard is an American politician in the state of Oregon. He won the Republican nomination to represent District 26 in the Oregon House of Representatives in May 2008.- Early life :...

*
Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Sandy Webb
State Representative, HD27 Tobias Read
Tobias Read
Tobias Read is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 27 since 2006.-External links:* Official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Tobias Read** campaign contributions...

*
Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Dan Lucas
State Representative, HD29 Katie Riley Cross-nominated Democratic Lost to Katie Eyre Brewer
State Representative, HD30 Shawn Lindsay Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Doug Ainge
State Representative, HD31 Ed DeCoste Cross-nominated Republican Lost to Brad Witt*
State Representative, HD32 Deborah Boone
Deborah Boone
Deborah Boone is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 32 since her appointment on August 4, 2004, to serve out the remaining term of Representative Elaine Hopson...

*
Cross-nominated Democrat Defeated Lew Barnes
State Representative, HD35 Gordon Fiddes Cross-nominated Republican Lost to Margaret Doherty*
State Representative, HD37 Will Rasmussen Cross-nominated Democrat Lost to Julie Parrish
State Representative, HD39 Bill Kennemer
Bill Kennemer
Bill Kennemer is a clinical psychologist and Republican politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He served ten years in the Oregon State Senate from 1987 to 1997, and served on the Clackamas County Commission from 1997 to 2008...

*
Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Alice Norris
State Representative, HD40 Dave Hunt
Dave Hunt
Dave Hunt is a Christian apologist, speaker, radio commentator and author. He has been in full-time ministry since 1973. The , which highlights Dave's materials, was started in 1992...

*
Cross-nominated Democrat Defeated Deborah Gerritzen
State Representative, HD41 Carolyn Tomei
Carolyn Tomei
Carolyn Tomei is a Democratic politician from the US state of Oregon. She serves in the Oregon House of Representatives for District 41, representing Milwaukie and parts of Southeast Portland, including Sellwood and Eastmoreland....

*
Cross-nominated Democrat Defeated Hugo Schulz
State Representative, HD46 Ben Cannon
Ben Cannon
Ben Cannon is an American teacher and politician from Oregon. He was elected in 2006 to the Oregon House of Representatives, representing the state's 46th District, which covers portions of southeast and northeast Portland. He was unopposed for re-election in 2008...

*
Cross-nominated Democrat Defeated Russell Turner
State Representative, HD48 Jeff Caton Independent Lost to Mike Schaufler*
State Representative, HD50 Cheryl Myers Cross-nominated Democratic Lost to Patrick Sheehan
State Representative, HD52 Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson may refer to:Academics*Mark Johnson , philosophy professor*Mark H. Johnson , developmental neuroscience professorSports*In baseball:**Mark Johnson...

Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Suzanne Vanorman*
State Representative, HD54 Jason Conger Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Judy Stiegler*
State Representative, HD56 Bill Garrard
Bill Garrard
Bill Garrard is the Republican state representative for District 56 of the Oregon House of Representatives. His district represents the voters in southern Klamath County, including Klamath Falls.- Electoral history :- External links :* *...

*
Cross-nominated Republican uncontested
State Representative, HD59 John Huffman* Cross-nominated Republican uDefeated Will Boettner
  • denotes Incumbent

2008 election

The Independent Party became the first Oregon minor political party in more than 80 years to cross-nominate major party candidates for public office. Its candidates generally fared better than other minor party candidates in terms of votes garnered. Joel Haugen received 19% of the vote in a five-candidate race for the U.S. House of Representatives in the first congressional district. State legislative candidates Terry Rilling, Pete Belcastro, and Keith Wangle garnered 40%, 44%, and 30% of the vote respectively in their races for the Oregon House of Representatives. Independent Party member Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He served eight years as mayor of Eugene. Torrey was a Republican candidate for the 2006 Oregon State Senate. He was defeated by incumbent Vicki Walker...

 was defeated by incumbent mayor Kitty Piercy
Kitty Piercy
Kitty Piercy is an American politician. She is the current mayor of Eugene, Oregon, sworn in January 2005 and re-elected to a second term in 2008. During the 1990s, she was Minority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives....

 in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

's non-partisan mayoral election, 48.8% to 47.4%.

2008 IPO general election results

Race Candidate Party Notes Votes
U.S. Senate Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...

Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated incumbent Gordon Smith 864,392
Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund was a 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...

Cross-nominated Democratic Defeated Allen Alley
Allen Alley
Allen Alley is a businessman and Chairman of the Oregon Republican Party. He unsuccessfully ran for Oregon State Treasurer in 2008 and the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon in 2010.-Early life:...

847,590
U.S. House of Representatives, CD1 Joel Haugen Independent Republican Lost to incumbent David Wu
David Wu
David Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties...

58,279
State Representative, HD4 Keith Wangle Independent Lost to incumbent Dennis Richardson 8,053
State Representative, HD5 Pete Belcastro Independent Lost to incumbent Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley is the name of:* Peter Buckley , English journeyman welterweight boxer* Peter J. Buckley, Oregon State Representative, District 5 * Peter Buckley , British former professional racing cyclist...

11,653
State Representative, HD18 Jim Gilbert Cross-nominated Democratic Lost to incumbent Vic Gilliam
Vic Gilliam
Victor S. "Vic" Gilliam is an American politician and part-time actor from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he has served in the Oregon House of Representatives from the 18th District since he was appointed in January 2007. A native of Ohio, he has lived in Silverton, Oregon since 1998.-Early...

11,702
State Representative, HD20 Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger
Vicki Berger is an American businessperson and politician in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, she is a Salem civic leader and a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Her father came up with the idea for the Oregon Bottle Bill.-Early life:Born Vicki Chambers in 1949, she...

Cross-nominated Republican Defeated Richard Riggs 15,829
State Representative, HD29 Terry Rilling Independent Lost to incumbent Chuck Riley
Chuck Riley (Oregon politician)
Chuck Riley is an American politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he is former consultant and former Democratic legislator in the Oregon House of Representatives. He served three terms representing District 29 which includes Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius in western...

7,321

Other candidates: Stephen Bradley (Curry County
Curry County, Oregon
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...

 Commissioner), Col. Dale Potter (Wallowa County
Wallowa County, Oregon
Wallowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a...

 Commissioner), Ken Wick (Wallowa County Commissioner). The party also endorsed Kate Brown
Kate Brown (politician)
Kate Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, She is the current Oregon Secretary of State and was elected to that office in the 2008 elections. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Brown served in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 21st senate district,...

for Secretary of State.

External links

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