The job of Oregon secretary of state is critical for at least three reasons. The secretary of state is next in line to become governor and also oversees the elections division and the audits division of state government.

The major candidates for this position are Democratic state Sen. Kate Brown and Republican Rick Dancer, a former television anchorman.

Brown brings the most experience to the race. A lawyer, she has served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives and one in the state Senate, where she’s been leader of the minority and majority. After Secretary of State Bill Bradbury’s legislative redistricting was invalidated in 2001, Brown developed a plan that became law. That was valuable preparation, because the next secretary of state will face the same task.

Dancer presents an appealing presence as an enthusiastic newcomer to the political scene. Despite the odds against him in this race, he projects confidence and is working hard at campaigning. He has traveled the state extensively and met with many of the county clerks who are on the front line of our elections system. He urges voters to see his non-political background as a plus for this post.

Still, Dancer’s resume is much thinner than Brown’s.

While he is right that the secretary of state needs to rise above party politicking to be fair to both sides of the aisle – and to the people of Oregon – to be successful in this post requires at least some grounding in the bureaucracy and political machinery that runs the state.

In this election, Kate Brown is the more compelling choice because of the homework she has done to prepare for the job and because of her legislative experience. We urge voters to elect Brown, and we urge her to use her knowlege of the political system to chart a fair course in the redistricting process that lies ahead.