Dancer aims to get voters involved

By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer

ONTARIO — He’s a Republican, but candidate for Oregon secretary of state Rick Dancer said one of his goals is to create a non-partisan office and to bring the general public back into the political process.

Dancer, 49, who ran unopposed in the May primary election, will face Democrat Kate Brown, Oregon Senate majority leader, in the November election.

As it turned out, Dancer said, the election was fairly cheap —  $100 to file and $1,000 to get in the voters’ pamphlet.

The longtime newscaster is swinging through Eastern Oregon this week, coming across through the central part of the state, and he visited Malheur County Wednesday.

Besides a brief meeting with the Malheur County Court, Dancer convened with Malheur County Clerk Deborah DeLong, followed by a meeting of the Malheur County Republican Central Committee and an interview at the Argus Observer.

As part of his campaign, Dancer said he is trying to visit with all the election clerks in the state to listen to their concerns and interests about voting. One clerk said she had never seen a secretary of state candidate in her office in 27 years, Dancer said.

Although Dancer is taking his campaign around Oregon, he said the real battle will be in Portland. A news anchor for KEZI Television in Eugene for about 20 years, name and face recognition is not an issue for Dancer in much of the Willamette Valley.

Dancer said he became interested in running for office after doing a program with former Secretary of State Phil Keisling on apathy.

“Many people don’t want to participate,” Dancer said. “Government isn’t listening to them. We feel disenfranchised by the process.”

Dancer said he told his wife if he was going to be part of the solution he had to start now.

 “The time was right,” he said.

If elected as secretary of state, he said he will be pushing for performance audits, as well as financial audits, to make sure government programs are doing what they are intended to do and doing so efficiently.

While not being an auditor, Dancer said, the state needs someone to say “This doesn’t seem right.”

He said the office has become more partisan, more about the party than the people.

“That has to change. People know that,” he said. “If I am elected, I want people to get more involved in the process. It does matter (how people vote). People are tired of partisan politics. They want somebody who will do the job.”

Dancer is a strong supporter of Oregon’s vote-by-mail system.

“Oregonians love it. They approved it, and it will stay that way unless they change it,” Dancer said. “It gives more people access to voting.”

 The real issue to voter turnout is that government needs to listen to the people, he said.

 “Then you will see more participation,” Dancer said.

This past Fourth of July weekend, Rick and his wife visited Columbia County in Northwestern Oregon, for a picnic put on by the local Republican Party. The picture above features Rick on the far right, with State Treasurer candidate Alan Alley located next to him.