Oregon Public Broadcasting

You may not be focused on the 2010 election yet, but for potential candidates, now is the time to get their ducks in a row.

Former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber is widely believed to be getting ready to run for his old office. But the two-term Democrat doesn't appear to be in any hurry to make up his mind.

It's not the first time Kitzhaber has been coy about getting back into the political game. And once again, other potential candidates are in limbo as they wait for an announcement. Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

Tacos and burritos are on the menu as Washington County Democrats gather for their summer picnic. An array of local officials and party activists are on hand, and one of the first speeches comes from a fresh-faced state representative named Brian Clem.

Brian Clem: “Some of you may or may not know if you followed the issue, my particular passion area, obsession I would say, was....”

Clem is in just his second term and he isn't even from Washington County. This picnic was one of the stops on what he's calling a “listening tour” of Oregon.

He's laying the groundwork for a possible run for governor. So what's he listening for right now?

Well, a couple of things. Voter priorities. And, for an announcement from this guy --

John Kitzhaber: “The problem isn't how we pay for health care. The problem is what we're buying, and how that care is organized and delivered....”

That's former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, speaking at the Portland City Club this past May. That was one of Kitzhaber's last public events before disappearing for the summer.

His secretary says he's on vacation. In that health care speech, he made no reference to his possible entry into the governor's race, though he told reporters afterward that he's considering it.

That's the same thing he's told Brian Clem. And that leaves potential candidate Clem to play the waiting game.

Brian Clem: “I've already indicated to him that it would be very likely I would support him and suspend my campaign or shift it over to working to make sure he got elected.”

Another Oregon political figure isn't waiting. Former U.S. Senate candidate Steve Novick says he's given up on a run for governor. He says he talked to Kitzhaber recently and is more and more convinced that the former governor will enter the race.

Steve Novick: “I don't know if there's a major policy issue that John Kitzhaber doesn't have a strong interest and a fair amount of knowledge in.”

But it's health care that Kitzhaber is best known for. He was the author of the Oregon Health Plan, and since leaving office that's remained issue number one for him.

Right now health care policy is the subject of heated debate across the nation. So Novick says Kitzhaber might feel the time is finally right to jump back into public office.

Steve Novick: “I think that he would not be considering running for governor again unless he concluded that there was an opportunity to do more from the governor's chair than as an outside advocate for health care policy.”

Democrats may be enthusiastic about Kitzhaber. But Republicans say they too would welcome the former governor into the race.

Oregon GOP chair Bob Tiernan served in the legislature when Kitzhaber was governor. Tiernan says the Democrat will be vulnerable at a time when voters may be focused on the economy.

Bob Tiernan: “He doesn't have any business experience. He hasn't run any major organizations. And when he was governor, he didn't do a very good job.”

Kitzhaber's critics also point to comments he made when he left office in 2002. He famously called Oregon “ungovernable.” Meanwhile, former Democratic Secretary of State Bill Bradbury is also weighing a run. He's even appealing for contributions on his website.

Bill Bradbury: “I want your support. I need your help. I clearly can't do it alone.”

Bradbury says his decision to run won't hinge on what John Kitzhaber decides. But he does say he's heard from some potential donors that they're waiting to see what Kitzhaber does before making any significant contributions. Another name to throw into the mix? Congressman Peter DeFazio.

He's also said to be considering a bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2010, though holding that office would mean giving up the seniority that comes from serving more than two decades on Capitol Hill.

Back at the Washington County picnic, Brian Clem is shaking hands and grabbing a bite to eat before heading off to his next stop on his listening tour. He says whatever and whenever John Kitzhaber decides, that's fine with him.

Brian Clem: “He's making a decision about the best interests of his family, and himself, and our state. And I don't want to apply any pressure to him that doesn't need to be applied.”

Not everyone at the picnic is so patient. Local political activist Nancy Thompson says she wishes Kitzhaber would make up his mind already.

Nancy Thompson: “It seems as though every four years his name is floated. And then it hangs out there until he sort of decides what to do, and I wish he'd just decide and let us move on.”

But Thompson is a poster child for why people like Brian Clem can't afford to wait much longer. She's heavily involved in Democratic Party politics. But Thompson says she never heard of Brian Clem until he showed up to the picnic.