Why endorse candidates.

Byline: The Register-Guard

During the next several weeks, The Register-Guard will be offering its editorial endorsements in contested races on Oregon's May 18 primary election ballot. Endorsements are not intended to tell anyone how to vote, and they're not meant to be punishments or rewards for politicians. The aim is to present a fair-minded evaluation of the candidates and issues that readers might find useful in making their own decisions.

A few newspapers around the country refrain from making election recommendations, reasoning that it's presumptuous for editors to express opinions on matters facing the voters. The Register-Guard has never embraced this reasoning. Editorial pages exist to offer opinions on matters of public policy, and elections are the hinge on which public policy swings. To spend 364 days editorializing on the actions of an elected body, and then on the 365th day refrain from saying which of two or more competing candidates is best suited to serve on that body, would be an abdication of responsibility.

At The Register-Guard, decisions on election endorsements are made by the publisher and the three members of the editorial department. The editorial writers interview each candidate and gather what information they can from other sources. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of their qualifications, their record of public service, their positions on relevant issues, their understanding of those issues, the clarity of their thinking, their ability to represent the people of their district and any other factors that may arise. In primary elections, an ability to effectively represent the candidate's party in the general election is often important.

No one on the newspaper's news staff is involved in these decisions. News stories about candidates and campaigns are prepared by reporters and editors who have nothing to do with The Register-Guard's editorial endorsements.

Whether newspaper endorsements affect voters has long been a subject of debate. The consensus is that endorsements can sway voters in low-profile elections and can lend credibility to certain candidates, but seldom tip the balance at the polls.

The primary purpose of endorsements, however, is not to ensure a particular result. The goal is to give readers one more piece of information, in the form of a coherent argument, that they can use however they please.

This particular election is remarkable for its dearth of contested races at the state level. Neither party has a primary contest for the offices of treasurer or attorney general. Lane County has only two primary-election contests for legislative positions.

Most of the action is at the local level, where spirited campaigns for positions on the Lane County Board of Commissioners and the Eugene City Council are under way. There's also a three-way race to succeed Jan Clements as Lane County sheriff, and a four-way contest for an open seat on the Springfield City Council.

The Register-Guard will be offering its evaluations of all these races and more in the days to come. Few readers will agree with all of the recommendations, but if the endorsements help people become better-informed voters, they will have achieved their goal.