Westlund quits GOP
Switch to independent status could pave way for gubernatorial bid

By James Sinks / The Bulletin
February 14, 2006

State Sen. Ben Westlund, R-Tumalo, who says partisanship is crippling Oregon government, has decided to drop his Republican Party affiliation and become an independent, he confirmed late Monday.

Westlund, 56, whose district covers most of Deschutes County, has been mulling a switch for almost a year but decided last week to formally make the change, he said in a telephone interview.

"There are things about both parties I like, but I don't fit neatly into either one of them," he said.

Westlund was still registered as a Republican on Monday.

The switch to independent status could pave the way for a gubernatorial bid, which has been rumored for months.

Westlund would not answer questions Monday about a potential challenge to Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Still, Westlund has been touring the state in a prelude to a possible campaign: He spoke to teachers in Medford on Monday night.

The deadline for nonaffiliated candidates to file for the November general election is Aug. 29. Unlike candidates from major parties, independents do not need to secure a nomination in the May 16 primary.

Westlund is hard to peg politically and was a frequent swing vote in the 2005 session. He is helping advance ballot measures that would make basic health care a right, would create incentives for the alternative energy industry and would hike cigarette taxes.

As the House budget chief in 2002, he led the effort to cut more than $1 billion from the state budget when tax revenues plummeted, but also supported tax hikes including the failed Measure 30 referral in 2004.

He opposed same-sex marriage on the 2004 ballot, but also sponsored legislation in 2005 to legalize marriage-like civil unions for same sex couples.

He drew the ire of several Deschutes County Republicans and sparked rumblings of a recall attempt in 2005 because of his support of tax hikes and the civil union legislation.

The recall never materialized, but it helped influence Westlund's decision, he said.

"As I continued to examine my role in the party, it became clear to me that it just wasn't a good fit and wasn't intellectually honest," he said. "They're unhappy with me half the time, I'm unhappy with them half the time."

Rod Richter, the chairman of the Deschutes County Republican Central Committee, said Monday that several Republicans have been disappointed that Westlund has been openly talking about leaving the party.

"It's been no secret that he is considering it and I have heard some unrest among party members," he said. "First off, as the chair of the Deschutes County central committee, we support Republicans as long as they are Republicans."

The party has not decided what steps to take in the aftermath of a Westlund party switch, he said.

"Everybody has been waiting to see what he does," Richter said.

Jackie Ehlers, secretary of the local Republicans, said Monday the move could be detrimental to Westlund in a future election.

"I don't know where he is headed with this maneuver," she said. "I hate to lose a good Republican."

Westlund is the senior state legislator from Central Oregon. He was first elected to the Oregon House in 1996 and served four terms before being appointed to the state Senate in 2003.

He was elected to the Senate seat in November 2004 after capturing both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the May 2004 primary.

Oregon Senate terms are four years; he will not face re-election until 2008. Westlund said lawmakers do not need to be partisans to advocate for their constituents, and he does not think it will diminish his standing at the statehouse, where he is already seen as a consensus builder between the parties.

He does not worry that switching to independent status could jeopardize his re-election.

"My job is not to get re-elected," he said. "Once elected, my job is to do what I feel is in the best interests of the district and the state."

John Hummel, a Bend attorney and city councilor who lobbied for defense lawyers in the 2005 session, predicted Westlund's stature at the statehouse will not diminish.

"It takes a unique individual to lead as an independent," he said. "You have to be somebody who is respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and Ben is one of the few people over there who can pull it off."

Most people don't see themselves first as a Republican or Democrat, but as Oregonians, Westlund said.

"I think that this move, at this time in Oregon political history, can help set an example by helping to reduce the extreme partisan gridlock that has so paralyzed our Legislature.

"The posturing and preening, the brinkmanship for the sake of winning a political point at the expense of the Oregon's people, was something I found increasingly intolerable."

James Sinks can be reached at 503-566-2839 or at jamess@cyberis.net.