What are Oregonians hiring their next governor to do?

That seems a reasonable question, now that the field of potential candidates has become clearer. Ex-New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is the latest official candidate, announcing his entry on Wednesday with a campaign video and press events.

Nearly 20 people have said they’re running in the 2022 gubernatorial election. Most are folks you’ve never heard of. The best-known candidates so far might be:

Democrats: Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, State Treasurer Tobias Read, Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla, former Independent Party candidate Patrick Starnes and Kristof.

Republicans: 2016 nominee Dr. Bud Pierce, Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam, Baker City Mayor Kerry McQuisten, political consultant Bridget Barton and businesswoman Jessica Gomez.

Independent: State Sen. Betsy Johnson.

OK, so what exactly does a governor do? 

Set the state’s course – that’s probably the No. 1 answer. Yet much of that actually falls to the Legislature, which establishes the state budget – rewriting whatever the governor proposes – and which passes laws and creates programs that the governor and executive branch must implement.

Still, that should be the No. 1 question for candidates: “What is your vision for Oregon, and how you would bring Oregonians together to achieve it?”

Related questions might be:

• “Tell us about your experience in such situations. When have you led competing interests to achieve a long-term, mutually beneficial outcome?”

• “Tell us about such an experience that failed and what you learned from it.”

• “How will you persuade a family, business or school in Jordan Valley that they’re just as important to your administration as ones in the Portland metro area?”

• “When was the last time you were in Jordan Valley? To Port Orford? How recently have you been to all 36 counties and to all 60 House districts?”

• “How would you go about proposing, supporting or opposing policies in the Legislature?”

The Oregon Constitution specifies that the governor is the state’s chief executive. The pandemic has reinforced that role. A governor can have vast – almost unlimited? – influence on agencies, individuals and businesses through executive orders. 

Until now, that role of chief executive had been fading. Government had grown too large and unwieldy. Thirty years ago, Gov. Vic Atiyeh acted as a traditional CEO and held regular cabinet meetings with key agency heads. No longer is that the norm. 

In Gov. Kate Brown’s administration, Katy Coba serves as the state’s chief operating officer and heads the Department of Administrative Services. Brown’s chief of staff, Gina Zejdlik, leads the day-to-day business of the Governor’s Office.

Regardless, governors determine the future of their state, and the success of their administration, by whom they appoint as their staff members, agency heads and members of state boards and commissions. A great leader inspires teamwork but also demands free thought. A governor’s inner circle should include folks unafraid to challenge assumptions, asking such basic questions as, “What is the true problem for which this is the perceived solution?” and “What could go wrong, not just what could go right?”

Whomever a governor hires or appoints must be prepared to handle not only today’s problems but also whatever unexpected crises arise. It will be worth asking Oregon’s candidates how they and their administration would recruit, evaluate, hire and manage people. Among the questions might be:

• “Tell us about your experience – and your record – in hiring and managing people.”

• “Tell us about a bad hiring experience, how you corrected it and what you learned from it.”

• “Gov. Brown has emphasized appointing women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals and others from traditionally marginalized communities. How would you bring unheard voices into state government? What would your administration do to identify future leaders and help them gain experience that prepares them for state service?”

It’s also important to note that the governor appoints many of the state’s judges, which happens when vacancies occur before the elected term is up.

By the way, the Oregon Constitution also states that the governor is commander in chief “of the military, and naval forces of this State, and may call out such forces to execute the laws, to suppress insurection [sic], or to repel invasion.” 

Our next governor will be …: A fifth-grader. 

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson launched the Oregon Kid Governor program, an idea borrowed from Connecticut. His successors have kept it going. I’m a big fan. 

This year’s kid governor is Taneesh Garg, who was elected by his fellow Oregon fifth-graders and took office in January. The Portland student ran on a platform of ending racism through awareness, communication and action. His blog is a wonderful read.

Previous Kid Governors are Raaga Mandala, 2020; Erikka Baldwin, 2019; and Dom Peters, 2018. 

Each of the seven finalists for 2022 Kid Governor has prepared a video outlining his or her platform. Students in participating classes will view the videos and then vote.

This Friday, Oct. 29, is the deadline for fifth-grade classes to register to participate in electing the 2022 Kid Governor. Eighty-seven classes are signed up so far. I hope that more will and that the entire state is represented.

“Salem’s success at the Legislature in recent years reflects a concerted effort to rebuild Capitol relationships.”