Last week, Oregon Outpost reported on the number of incumbent Legislators who had tried to coronate their successor by tipping off an insider that they weren’t seeking re-election, then announcing that they were withdrawing from their races minutes before, or even after, the filing deadline.

In effect, since no one wants to run against an incumbent from their own party, this left the insiders who filed minutes before the filing deadline the only candidate on the ballot. And in safe districts ,whether deep red or deep blue where the non dominant major party doesn’t even bother to run a candidate, that meant that the insider would breeze to a primary win in May, then face no competition in November.

In a prior post last week we talked about how the Husband wife Legislative team of Doug Whitsett (SD-28) and Gail Whitsett (HD-57) pulled off a double coronation when they both announced, after the filing deadline, that they wouldn’t run for re-election. “Luckily” two Republicans had filed for their seats just before the filing deadline. Both are insiders. Dennis Linthicum, a tea party favorite and former Klamath Co. Commissioner, filed for SD-28 seat and Werner Reschke an insider from the local Chamber of Commerce, filed for HD-57. Clearly, this was a coronation attempt by the Whitsetts, even though all parties concerned are offering no explanation for the timing.

Outrage erupted over the Whitsettses actions and now the Klamath Falls voters have picked up the pitchforks. The K Falls Herald and News reported:

“Residents upset by the political maneuvering of Sen. Doug Whitsett and Rep. Gail Whitsett will be meeting in Klamath Falls Wednesday to discuss candidate alternatives for the 2016 election. Organized by Klamath Falls Mayor Todd Kellstrom, the meeting will gauge interest in supporting an independent or write-in candidate to oppose current Republican candidates Dennis Linthicum and Werner Reschke.”

A high ranking source within the Independent Party of Oregon said that the IPO would work with any viable candidates that wanted to run a write in campaign for the Independent nomination in the affected districts where an IPO candidate hadn’t filed. The IPO had no candidates in SD-28 or HD-57. A write in candidate for the IPO May primary could retain their Republican Party registration while running in November as the Independent nominee.