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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 12
Sponsored by Senator THATCHER; Representatives DIEHL, LEVY B (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act does not allow the SOS to mark certain judge candidates as incumbent. (Flesch
Readability Score: 71.7).
Prohibits the designation of incumbent for any candidate for specified judgeships who was ap-
pointed and is seeking election in the first election since that appointment.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to designation of incumbent for certain judicial candidates; amending ORS 254.085.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 254.085 is amended to read:
254.085. (1) The Secretary of State, not later than the 61st day before the date of a primary or
general election, shall file with each county clerk a statement of the federal and state offices to be
filled or for which candidates are to be nominated in the county at the election, information con-
cerning all candidates for the offices, and the state measures to be voted on.
(2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, the information concerning
candidates for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court and circuit court shall in-
clude a designation of incumbent for each candidate who is the regularly elected [or appointed] judge
of the court to which the candidateseekselection.Ifacandidatewasregularlyelected[or
appointed] to a specific position or department on the court, the candidate shall be designated as the
incumbent only if the person is a candidate for that position or department.
(b) For any candidate for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court or
circuit court who was appointed and is seeking election in the first election since being ap-
pointed, the designation of incumbent may not be included in the information concerning
candidates for that candidate.
(3) Included with each state measure shall be the measure number, the latest ballot title certi-
fied by the Attorney General under ORS 250.067 (2) or, if the Supreme Court has reviewed the title
under ORS 250.085, the title certified by the court and the financial estimates under ORS 250.125.
The Secretary of State shall keep a copy of the statement.
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 851