I’ve been interviewing the Democratic and Republican candidates for Oregon attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer.

Our wide-ranging discussions covered far more than could be included in my stories, which are posted on Oregon Capital Insider. To whet your interest in the candidates, here are more of their comments, followed by a couple of postscripts.

Attorney general

Will Lathrop, Republican: “Oregon doesn’t have a law-creation problem. We create a lot of laws every year. We have a law-execution and law-enforcement problem, largely because positions like the Attorney General’s Office and the district attorneys offices and other law enforcement across the state, those positions have been politicized in the last decade in ways they weren’t really intended. And the law is not being enforced equitably, fairly and across the board.”

Rep. Dan Rayfield, Democrat: “I’ve worked tediously to build a reputation in the Legislature, one where we’ve built a culture of respect, one where the roles that I have served in, whether it is co-chair of Ways and Means or speaker of the House, I believe that my duty was to the entire state and all four corners of it. … It means that you are an advocate for everyone in this state, whether they voted for you or whether they didn’t vote for you.”

Secretary of State

Sen. Dennis Linthicum, Republican: “I’ve been in the Legislature for eight years. I understand the processes. I understand my limited scope as secretary of state. I will not overstep my boundaries, but I will bring a spirit of reform to the office, and I hope the public understands and recognizes the beauty of reform, because we can all do better in each of our private lives, public lives and especially within government.”

State Treasurer Tobias Read, Democrat: “The secretary of state, as an independently elected office, has the authority associated with the audit function. It can be an independent voice to follow up — to examine how things are working elsewhere in government. But I’d like to make sure that those audits are perceived as, and in fact are, rigorous and independent and not politics or an agenda of weaponization.”

State treasurer

Sen. Brian Boquist, Republican: “The economy hasn’t gotten any better, and now we turn around here and we keep hiking taxes or wanting to increase taxes, and the working poor are getting poorer, and families are getting worse off.”

Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, Democrat: “I think for a northwest Portland legislator, I have pretty close connections to rural Oregon, and I spend a lot of time in rural Oregon, talking with people, trying to understand their particular needs, working with them.”

——

Stay off the highways: Posting political signs — or garage sale, pet boarding, roof cleaning or any other signs — is prohibited within the public right way. The Oregon Department of Transportation advises, “Signs are prohibited on trees, utility poles, fence posts and natural features within highway right-of-ways. They also are prohibited within view of a designated scenic area.”

Political signs that can be seen from state highways are allowed on private property, but there are restrictions.

Don’t forget Clackamas: Following up on last week’s Capital Chatter, Congressman Andrea Salinas’ staff noted that she held a post-Measure 110 listening session in Clackamas County in addition to the ones in Washington, Marion, Yamhill and Polk counties.