FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 9, 2008    

(Portland, OR) – The mayors of Oregon, from Pendleton to Albany to Klamath Falls to Depoe Bay, are helping lead a groundswell of support for Measure 65.  More than two dozen current and former mayors have endorsed Oregon’s Open Primary Initiative saying it’s time to stop denying nearly half a million independent Oregonians the right to vote. Collectively, the mayoral backing represents Oregon cities that are home to nearly one third of the state’s population.

"Measure 65 is a matter of basic fairness for the people of Oregon," said Mayor Tom Potter of Portland. "Right now, nearly half a million people in our state can't vote in the party primary without renouncing their independence.  Measure 65 will give them a voice and a vote."
"All voters should be treated equally," said Mayor Len Holzinger of Grants Pass. “It’s time we restored Oregon’s basic values of fairness and independent minded thinking to our elections process.”

The following is a growing list of mayors who support Measure 65:

Current                               
1.    Dan Bedore – Albany
2.    Rob Drake – Beaverton
3.    Bruce Abernathy – Bend
4.    James White     - Depoe Bay
5.    Irving Nuss – Enterprise
6.    Robert Austin - Estacada
7.    Richard Kidd – Forest Grove
8.    Len Holzinger – Grants Pass
9.    Tom Hughes – Hillsboro
10.   Linda Steich – Hood River
11.   Lore Christopher – Keizer
12.   Todd Kellstrom – Klamath Falls
13.   Jason Hale – Madras
14.   Dennis Ross - Maupin
15.   James Bernard – Milwaukie
16.   Bill Bain -- Newport
17.   Phillip Houk – Pendleton
18.   Tom Potter – Portland
19.   Larry Rich – Roseburg
20.   Ken Hector - Silverton

Former
1.    Jim Torrey  - Eugene
2.    Cathy Shaw – Ashland
3.    Gussie McRobert – Gresham
4.    Oran Teater – Bend

The state’s leading newspapers have also started to throw their support to Measure 65 on the basic principle that everyone should have a voice and vote in every election, not just Democrats and Republicans. With a number of key editorial decisions still to come, the Albany Democrat Herald, the Bend Bulletin, the Eugene Register Guard, the Gresham Outlook, the Roseburg News Review, the Wallowa Chieftain, the Forest Grove News-Times, the McMinnville Register and the Yamhill News Register have all written in resounding support and encouraged Oregonians to vote yes on Measure 65.

For more information on Measure 65, visit www.voteyes65.com.