Betsy Johnson, the high-profile candidate for governor running without the support of a political party, turned in what her campaign said was 48,200 signatures Tuesday, roughly double the number necessary to secure her spot on the fall ballot.
It was the last day to do so to make the November ballot. The campaign relied on paid signature-gatherers as well as grassroots fans of her campaign to put signatures on petition after petition. As of Tuesday, the campaign reported paying $207,000 to well-known signature-gathering firm Initiative & Referendum Campaign Management Services.
The number of signatures required to get a candidate not nominated by a political party onto Oregon’s ballot -- 23,744 -- is just a fraction of what is required to get a citizen-backed measure there.
Johnson, a longtime Democratic lawmaker from Columbia County, left her party to make a centrist run for governor. She plans to give a speech outside the state elections office at noon after turning in her petition sheets.
Secretary of State staffers will need to check a sample of the signatures by Aug. 30 to ensure the campaign has turned in enough valid ones. But with more than 24,000 to spare, it seems clear the campaign will clear the threshold.
If Johnson is officially cleared to make the ballot, she will face two fellow former lawmakers, former House Republican leader Christine Drazan of Canby and former longtime Democratic House Speaker Tina Kotek of Portland.
-- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com
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