Oregon Secretary of State election, 2024

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Oregon Secretary of State
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; General election;
Election details
	Filing deadline: March 12, 2024
	Primary: May 21, 2024; General: November 5, 2024; Pre-election incumbent(s):; LaVonne Griffin-Valade (D)
How to vote
	Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Voting in Oregon
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2024; Impact of term limits in 2024; State government trifectas; State government triplexes; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
Oregon; executive elections
	Attorney General; Secretary of State; Treasurer

Oregon 2024 elections

U.S. House • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Recalls • How to run for office

Oregon held an election for secretary of state on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 21, 2024. The filing deadline was March 12, 2024.

The Oregon Secretary of State, as chief election officer, oversees elections. For more on election administration legislation in Oregon, click here.

Tobias Read won election in the general election for Oregon Secretary of State.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Oregon Secretary of State

Tobias Read defeated Dennis Linthicum and Nathalie Paravicini in the general election for Oregon Secretary of State on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tobias Read (D / Working Families Party / Independent Party)	54.4	1,166,447
	Dennis Linthicum (R / Constitution Party)	41.9	897,704
	Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party / Progressive Party)	3.6	76,170
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,011

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,142,332
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon Secretary of State

Tobias Read defeated James Manning, Jim Crary, Paul Damian Wells, and Dave Stauffer in the Democratic primary for Oregon Secretary of State on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tobias Read	69.4	303,089
	James Manning	22.3	97,427
	Jim Crary	3.7	16,340
	Paul Damian Wells	2.2	9,425
	Dave Stauffer	1.8	7,921
	Other/Write-in votes	0.6	2,515

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 436,717
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon Secretary of State

Dennis Linthicum defeated Brent Barker and Tim McCloud in the Republican primary for Oregon Secretary of State on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Dennis Linthicum	66.0	199,243
	Brent Barker	20.2	61,011
	Tim McCloud	13.0	39,109
	Other/Write-in votes	0.8	2,560

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 301,923
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

An even, open-handed and transparent ethic is needed in Oregon's Secretary of State office where the majority of voters feel uncertain about the validity of the mail-in voter process and a majority of republican voters sense their disenfranchisment from the electoral process.

The current information censorship issues that plague Oregon politics and the frightfully damaged integrity issues that are raised by voters can only be resolved with substantive alterations to the single-party dominance that has eroded public faith.

The public sector will benefit from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture of an information gate keeper who is unwilling to disclose public information.

Effective governance and accountability requires timely and accurate audits from departments and agencies that have a statewide impact. In particular, departments such as Education, Environmental Quality, Water Resources, Transportation, and Justice.

These departments typically handle significant budgets and have a direct impact on citizens' daily lives. Conducting regular audits in these areas helps identify areas for improvement, ensures regulatory compliance, and can help the legislative bodies optimize future resource allocations.

Oregon's apparent disregard for election integrity and related ballot concerns is a spreading canker which is eating into the heart and soul of our representative model of governance. The majority party likes to make claims about "saving our democracy" but their calls are ineffective against the onslaught of corruption that is eating away at the integrity of all party office holders.

The pathway to vice, political grift and corruption comes from the majority party’s reliance on their own authority growing from their unique position as the longtime partisan controller of all things governmental. This is economically and socially destructive. My successful candidacy will help shift that lop-sided and oppressive dynamic.

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/NathalieParavicini.jpg

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green, Progressive)

Money is not speech; it is property. We need to implement meaningful campaign finance reform nationwide, such as Petition 9 in Oregon. This needs to be coupled with true choice in elections, with the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting. That can only happen when people work together toward that goal, contact Volunteer@Honest-elections.com to be part of the movement.

Oregon has a screwed-up budgeting system. When Oregon ranks as one of the states with the least spending in housing and behavioral health; it is not surprise we have such a homeless crisis. With that backdrop; it is unconceivable that the state returned billions of dollars in tazes instead of investing that money where it is needed. Furthermore, Oregon is the only state without a "severance tax," meaning that Oregonians give away their state resources (timber) with no return. This is not only absurd; it is negligent to say the least.

Most people do not realize how dramatic climate change is going to be. We need to immediately focus our resources on moving away from the carbon industry and invest in resiliency, particularly for food security and clean water.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Oregon has paved a freeway to fraud with all of its ridiculous variations for increasing voter registration. More voters, ballots, and sign-up methodologies can never ensure accuracy, accountability or integrity in the electoral process.

Roger Moorhouse documents in, The Devils’ Alliance, that after the German-Soviet Treaty of Non-Aggression (1939), “Only approved candidates were permitted to stand, all others were removed from the ballot and arrested. … Voting was compulsory, with those spoiling their ballot or refusing to vote risking arrest.”

The result was 99%, 97% and 93% approval for all candidates in Lithuania, Latvian and Estonia, respectfully. More voters and ballots can’t fix what’s broken in single-party authoritarianism.

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green, Progressive)

In addition to the above key messages, my other areas of interest are:

1) The absurd overspending on the military industrial complex. In 2024, that spending has increased to 62% of our discretionary budget. Yes, 62% of your taxes (so-called discretionary spending) are spent in the military - because Medicare and Social Security are a separate pot of money: you pay directly into those, they are entitlements. AND the Pentagon has not passed a single internal audit. Correct. The Defense department has not passed a single of its five audits since it started auditing its books. It cannot account for more than 50% of its expenditures. If that were the education department we would immediately hear calls to shut it down and privatize it. With even 10% of military funding spent on infrastructure upgrades and education we would transform the country. 2) Our infrastructure (water/sewer lines, electricity, bridges/roads) are antiquate and falling apart. We are not prepared for climate change 3) The minimum wage is a joke. What we need is a living wage determined by local cost of living; so that no more than 30% of your wages are spent in housing. It would adjust automatically to the cost of living and can be applied internationally. We also need to end tax loopholes for the wealthy, and properly fund the IRS to audit the wealthy, not middle class common folk.

4) Nature has rights more so than money is speech. Empower people to run for office: take it back.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

The Secretary of State’s office fulfills four essential services. Firstly, it oversees elections and ensures their integrity, a duty that I believe has greatly suffered under a prevailing single-party mindset that has long beleaguered Oregon.

Repairing this tarnished image will be a primary focus, since public perception and trust in the electoral process has been severely impacted. Transparency and genuine empathy for divergent perspectives is lacking because the office seems to prioritize the majority party's narrative over its fiduciary responsibility. This needs to be corrected to ensure fair and open access to voters.

Secondly, the office is responsible for auditing executive branch offices and departments. The auditing function is a proficiency test for these executive agencies. Like proficiency standards for high-school graduates, audits provide a metric to measure performance and identify areas for improvement. Timely, accurate, and comprehensive audits are necessary to enhance departmental efficiency and service. The Secretary of State also serves two other major roles, one as a member of the State Land Board and the other, as the chair of the Oregon Sustainability Board.

My rural lifestyle, having lived off-the-grid for 30 years, plus my deep background in the agricultural and ranching communities provides me with strategic insight into issues facing all Oregonians.

I bring a well-rounded understanding of the issues facing sustainable land use and the symbiotic relationship needed for private sector productivity, which is a major contributor to Oregon’s economy, and the resource demands for metro, commercial and industrial products. All in all, natural resources represent a majority of the economic productivity flowing from Oregon’s forest, agriculture, farming and mineral communities.

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green, Progressive)

Vision and leaderhip; excellent organizational skills. I know how to draw from expertise and apply it in an effective team setting.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher, and the author and economist Ludwig von Mises. The last for his wisdom in applying a strict and rigorous approach to economic thought and theory in his numerous books and research observations. The other two individuals, the American President and the English Prime Minister, both serve as examples because, first, they both brought an abundance of astute common-sense. This allowed them to clearly observe, weigh and understand human nature. Secondly, they both had an immensely practical ability to construct positive, large-scale and successful examples of a well-ordered social order which we can proudly hail as being exemplary forms of self-governance.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Anyone building a personal library of liberty must read, contemplate, and re-read Frédéric Bastiat's classic essay, "The Law." https://cdn.mises.org/thelaw.pdf

I'll quote form Thomas J. DiLorenzo's forward to the 2007 copy:

It is remarkable, in reading "The Law," how perfectly accurate Bastiat was in describing the statists of his day which, it turns out, were not much different from the statists of today or any other day.

The French "socialists" of Bastiat's day espoused doctrines that perverted charity, education, and morals, for one thing. True charity does not begin with the robbery of taxation, he pointed out. Government schooling is inevitably an exercise in statist brainwashing, not genuine education; and it is hardly "moral" for a large gang (government) to (legally) rob one segment of the population, keep most of the loot, and share a little of it with various "needy" individuals.

Socialists want "to play God," Bastiat observed, anticipating all the future tyrants and despots of the world who would try to remake the world in their image, whether that image would be communism, fascism, the "glorious union," or "global democracy."

Bastiat also observed that socialists wanted forced conformity; rigid regimentation of the population through pervasive regulation; forced equality of wealth; and dictatorship. As such, they were the mortal enemies of liberty.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Thomas Jefferson outlined several important factors for people in all areas of life. I think these apply to elected office-holders, too. Embedded our Declaration of Independence, he highlights these character traits as the core/creedal values of the colonist. These are, wisdom, justice, courage, and more importantly, restraint. In turn, philosophers have divided wisdom or prudence into sub-categories such as, common-sense, accurate calculation, quick-wittedness, discretion, and resourcefulness. In turn, justice gets subdivided into the following deeply rooted personal attributes or characteristics composed of piety, honesty, equity, and fair dealing.

It is interesting to note, these are all personal character traits. No government can never possess, harness, or discharge honesty or equity because these are human traits. These traits belong only to human persons, or individuals.

This is why Jefferson placed so much importance on the individual, and their inherent and sacred rights:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

With my background as a trained economist and being a former Sr. VP of MIS, a former Oregon Construction Contractor Board license holder, and currently a rancher deeply engaged in land management and sustainability issues, I bring a wealth of technical and managerial expertise to the table.

My extensive experience uniquely positions me to unlock the full potential of individuals and seize service opportunities to achieve positive outcomes for all Oregonians.

Additionally, my rural lifestyle (having lived off-the-grid for the past 30 years) plus my deep background in the agricultural and ranching communities provides me with strategic insight into issues facing all Oregonians.

I bring a well-rounded understanding of the issues facing sustainable land use and the symbiotic relationship needed for private sector productivity. This is a vital component of Oregon’s economy and represents a majority of Oregon’s forest, agriculture, and mineral resource opportunities.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Elected office-holders have two fundamental fiduciary responsibilities: to adhere to their Constitutional obligations and defend the Lives, Liberties and property (or pocketbooks) of their constituencies.

They are not in office to control, tax, or regulate their constituents. They are not in office to answer the millions of disparate needs of any group over another group, or any person over any other person – because doing so would require funding and/or resources that government does not have unless government turns itself into an over-bearing confiscator of the lives, liberties and property of some targeted producer.

In short, your representatives are not in office to secure funding for local projects, commonly known as , "bringing home the bacon." Rather they exist in elected positions to to defend your farm, your business or your pocketbook from the progressives who are never satisfied and always want more.

Elected office-holders should remember their duty is to, "save the bacon that is produced and harvested in their communities." Otherwise someone else will be eating high on the hog.

As Frédéric Bastiat warned us, "all the collective forces of the nation—the law— [has] become the tool of every kind of avarice, instead of being its check!"

What legacy would you like to leave?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

The legacy of being a true and consistent constitutional conservative.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Gemini and Apollo missions with the thrill of the first moon-landing. I was 12 or 13-year-old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

I was a newspaper delivery boy, on a bike with handle-bar bags for holding the papers. I probably did that for two 6 month seasons...

What is your favorite book? Why?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

William Shirer's Diary Trilogy, which is a first-hand account of his time as a correspondent for CBS during World War II. Shirer presents a beautifully personal account of the tragedy that befell Europe and the World because people failed to face-up the stark realities of maniacal totalitarianism.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

The Deerslayer

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

This little Light of Mine...

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

I have been an Insulin dependent, Type I diabetic since I was in my teens.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Common-sense, knowledge, wisdom and personal integrity are invaluable responsibilities for every office-holder. The technical details of every position may be different, but these personal attributes are key to managing policy requirements and the hard truths of the real world. This is particularly true for the Secretary of State's (SoS) office. The public might put their voices behind any number of issues, which the SoS office must treat with the same openness, fairness and frank appraisals that every other initiative or measure are due.

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green, Progressive)

Vision and ethics

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

No, as this hinders the development of innovative thought and fresh ideas.

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green, Progressive)

Yes, and this is why being able to nurture a team with that expertise and working well with others in a multicultural and diverse team is so important.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

First is a well-rounded understanding or background in technical and computational knowledge regarding data collection, verification, cleansing, and presentation skills. Next, personal skill for dealing with real people, in real circumstances and in meaningful professional relationships is extremely important.

Genuine pride in one's work emerges organically when sincere efforts are made to address serious questions raised by either internal or external interactions. This vibrant response, in turn, will cause a cascading change in internal and external perceptions.

Just as individuals in the private sector value transparent information exchange, so too the public sector benefits from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture an elite, "holder of the keys to knowledge and wisdom."

The information censorship issues that plague Oregon politics can be resolved by my leadership style.

In turn, when election office employees feel their honest efforts are truly valued then they work with increased diligence, pride, and dedication while nobly fulfilling their obligations to the public.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Knock, Knock...

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

Oregon Right to Life PAC, Oregon Firearms Federation PAC, Senator Brian Boquist, Senator Kim Thatcher, Senator Art Robinson.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Dennis Linthicum (Republican, Constitution)

As can be seen on the home webpage for Oregon's Secretary of State, the office has pledged to focus on integrity - grounded in transparency, accountability and fairness. I would stress these principles and ensure follow-up within the office to improve on all three of aspects of integrity.

People become fearful and start looking for, or imagining, fraudulent manipulations when legitimate questions have been raised but not appropriately addressed. Often the information is locked away because the truth reflects poorly on those in power. In one specific instance, I requested ballot images for one county. The information was available but hidden behind an unconscionable fee of $982,896.17. In round numbers that is a $1 million fee for data that the public rightly owns and county elections officers are required to keep for two years–so that the public can peruse the data.

Address wholesale transparency is required in order to address this serious problem. Openness on its face will change public perception.

Just as individuals in the private sector value transparent information exchange, so too the public sector benefits from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture of an information gate keeper.

In turn, when election office employees feel their honest efforts are truly valued then they work with increased diligence, pride, and dedication while nobly fulfilling their obligations to the public.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2012.