SALEM — As Oregon Gov. Kate Brown begins the process of selecting the next secretary of state, it’s unclear how much of a say Republicans will have.

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, who died Tuesday night, was the first Republican in 16 years to win election to a statewide office and the party wants to provide input on whom Brown should appoint. Brown and Oregon’s three other statewide elected officials are Democrats, and the party holds majorities in both chambers of the Legislature.

Under state law, Brown must select a Republican to replace Richardson. But the requirements end there. Unlike with legislative vacancies, there is no requirement for candidates to be selected by party officials.

Republicans are drafting a list of three to five people they would like Brown to consider for secretary of state, said Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier. On Wednesday night, the party’s executive committee passed a resolution calling on the governor to consider their input.

Currier said that by picking the next secretary of state from such a list, Brown would be honoring the will of the voters who selected Richardson over Democrat Brad Avakian based on Richardson’s campaign platform. Currier said then-Gov. Neil Goldschmidt, a Democrat, sought nominees from the Republican party to fill a treasurer vacancy in 1988 “so it’s not without precedent.”

It’s unclear whether Brown will take the unsolicited advice. Kate Kondayen, a spokeswoman for the governor, wrote in an email that Brown plans to appoint Richardson’s successor “in the coming weeks.” She reiterated the governor’s mandate, first issued last year amid discussions of the severity of Richardson’s brain cancer, that any appointee would have to promise not to run for the office in 2020.

Kondayen also forwarded an email she sent to The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, stating that Brown is “reaching out to legislators, business people, public officials in the administrative and judicial branches, and others in the advocacy or non-profit sectors to both solicit names of potential candidates and gauge qualification for the office and interest.”

Kondayen did not immediately respond to a question Thursday afternoon about what weight the governor will give to the Republican party’s recommendations.

In the meantime, Deputy Secretary of State Leslie Cummings is serving as the acting secretary of state.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said on Thursday that there will be a ceremony in the House chamber at 2 p.m. Wednesday remembering Richardson’s life and public service.

Former Rep. Julie Parrish, a Republican who was close to Richardson, said she is not seeking the appointment but would prefer the next secretary of state to be someone who had a connection with Richardson.

“Someone who’s not completely obscure to our party,” Parrish said, adding that appointing someone who is relatively unknown among Oregon Republicans would be “a huge betrayal of trust to the voters.”

— Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud

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