GOP governor: Saxton.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Oregonians haven't elected a Republican governor in 20 years, the longest losing streak for the GOP in state history. Republicans hoping for a change of fortune should look for a candidate like those who served their party and their state in the past by reaching across party lines with realism, optimism and vision. Ron Saxton is such a candidate.

Saxton, 47, is the head of a big law firm in Portland, and a former chairman of the Portland School Board. That may look like a thin resume for someone seeking the top job in Oregon government. But in fact, Saxton's work in business, government and civic affairs has prepared him well, giving him a breadth of experience that could not be obtained in the course of a career spent climbing the political ladder.

Saxton is a Republican of a type sometimes thought to have become extinct in Oregon: a pragmatist in the mold of Mark Hatfield, Norma Paulus, Clay Myers and Vic Atiyeh. Saxton worked on all of their campaigns, helping elect them as governor or to other statewide offices. The disappearance of such moderate leaders from the top of the GOP's ticket helps explain the party's long drought at the polls. Saxton offers Oregon Republicans a chance to reclaim their heritage of progressive leadership, and to turn away from a negative and reactive approach to government.

As a corporate lawyer, Saxton is well-attuned to the concerns of business and stresses the need to improve Oregon's economic climate. As a former school board member and founder of the Portland Education Foundation, he's deeply committed to the state's public school system. Every candidate, of course, favors a strong economy and good schools. Saxton, however, excels at linking the two: Oregon can't have a sound economy without a first-rate school system, and the state can't afford good schools without a robust economy.

The freshness of the message coming from the Saxton campaign stems from his willingness to speak plainly. One impressive example is that Saxton was the first major candidate of either party to draw attention to the growing actuarial deficit in the Public Employee Retirement System. Saxton points out that soaring PERS costs are not only a multibillion dollar burden on governments, including school districts, but also threaten the integrity of the retirement system itself. Oregonians share a common interest in making the system sustainable - just as Saxton says they share an interest in bridging the state's urban-rural divide, protecting the environment and supporting civil rights.

Four others are seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and two of them - Jack Roberts and Kevin Mannix - make this the strongest field of candidates in a generation. Both Roberts and Mannix have solid resumes of public service and detailed positions on the issues - it's little wonder that many Republican voters remain undecided.

Roberts, 49, is finishing his second term as commissioner of the state Bureau of Labor and Industries. He's the hometown favorite in the race, having grown up in Eugene and having served on the Lane County Board of Commissioners. Lane County residents know Roberts to be well-informed, creative and sharp-witted. They also know him to be ambitious - the roots of his gubernatorial campaign can probably be traced back to middle school.

Roberts' ambition, however, makes a poor rudder. He's pursuing the GOP nomination as a no-new-taxes, anti-government conservative. After winning the nomination he would presumably move toward the political center, closer to where Lane County residents are accustomed to finding him. A centrist message would be more convincing from a nominee who has been sending it all along.

Mannix, 52, is a Salem-area legislator who quit the Democratic Party and joined the GOP five years ago. He's most closely identified with tough-on-crime and victims' rights legislation, which placed him increasingly at odds with his Democratic colleagues. Mannix now has the fervor of a convert - he's pledged to oppose all new taxes, says he'll eliminate half of all state regulations and is the only major candidate who opposes a woman's right to choose an abortion.

Mannix will undoubtedly appeal to the conservative core of the Republican Party - the same core that nominated Bill Sizemore for governor in 1998 and Denny Smith four years earlier. Mannix is smart, well-spoken and energetic, but he couldn't win a statewide election when he ran for attorney general in 2000 and would be unlikely to win one this year.

GOP voters have an opportunity to offer Oregon a candidate whose face is new, but whose style is familiar - a non-ideological Republican with a can-do attitude. They can choose a nominee whose background equips him to confront the twin challenges of improving the economy and education. And they can send a candidate to the November general election who has a chance of winning. That's Ron Saxton.