And They're Off! First 2012 Candidates File

Capitol Currents:

It didn't take long for the first candidate to file for the 2012 election cycle. According to the Secretary of State's online database, Republican state representative Greg Smith filed papers to run for office at 8:02 this morning, just two minutes after the filing period began. Smith, who hails from the eastern Oregon town of Heppner, is seeking a seventh term in office. During the previous election cycle, he was one of two eastern Oregon Republicans (Bob Jenson was the other) who faced primary challenges after Republican party officials expressed dismay about their votes on a pair of tax increases in the legislature. Both Smith and Jenson handily won re-election, and Smith is wasting no time in showing that he's up for another term. (It's not clear whether Jenson, the senior member of the Oregon House, will return for another term.)As of this writing, Smith is the only legislative candidate to file so far. (A judicial candidate from Tigard also filed this morning.) But there's no particular rush. Candidates for all open offices in the May 2012 primary have until next March to get their names on the ballot.

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