Treasurer pick goes to Bledsoe

American actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein once said, “Just because you thought something yesterday doesn’t mean you have to think it today. Don’t ever become a prisoner of your own opinion.”

Taking his advice, we’ve decided to change our mind about the best candidate to carry on Mike Green’s steady and scrupulous work as Yamhill County treasurer. We opted for Paulette Alexandria in the three-way primary, but are giving our nod to Kris Bledsoe in the two-way general election. 

Bledsoe led the field in the primary, collecting 48.5% of votes, compared to 34.1% for Alexandria and 17.4% for Katie St. Ores. But that’s not what tipped the balance.

The deciding factors were Bledsoe’s decision to begin waging an active campaign, suggesting rekindled fire for the task; the overtly partisan turn Alexandria’s campaign has taken; and the vigor with which Green opted to endorse Bledsoe, after working closely with both candidates on the county investment council.

We said in our original editorial, “All three candidates are richly endowed with academic and real-world credentials. All three would, we believe, pick up Mike Green’s mantle without missing a beat.” We also credited Alexandria with being “outgoing, energetic and personable.” And we take back none of those statements. We find both candidates fully capable of fulfilling the job of treasurer, which is to manage the county’s investment portfolio.

Alexandria’s partisan campaign for an emphatically non-partisan office is odd, if not concerning. It’s being driven, in part, by Commissioner Mary Starrett and Commissioner-Elect Lindsay Berschauer.

Bledsoe is far from apolitical herself, having previously run for commissioner twice and the state house once. She’s also the mother-in-law of current commissioner Casey Kulla. 

Past and current officeholders have set a standard we’d like to see every candidate embrace in bids for county treasurer, clerk, sheriff and assessor.Bledsoe has followed that path in this election cycle.

We are mindful of the strongly worded assessment offered by Green, who has won wide acclaim for his handling of the office: “By far, Kris Bledsoe is better suited and trained to fill the role as Yamhill County treasurer. She understands the policies and the philosophy of public funds investing, and will ensure that the policies currently in place will continue to benefit the county.”

Faced with a choice between a pair of well-qualified candidates, we’ve decided we are better prepared to place our trust and faith in the more seasoned of the two, Kris Bledsoe.