WEATHER TODAY
WEDNESDAY
Cloudy early, then sunny High 63, Low 32 Page C6
• November 3, 2010 50 cents
Serving Central Oregon since 1903 www.bendbulletin.com
Flaherty calls Dugan ‘vindictive’
WEB EXTRA A better butte
By Erin Golden The Bulletin
Park rangers, other volunteers dig in on Pilot Butte project.
With two months to go before he takes office, Deschutes County District Attorney-elect Patrick Flaherty said Tuesday that current District Attorney Mike Dugan is trying to undermine his efforts to make a smooth transition into office. Flaherty’s comments came in a writ-
www.bend bulletin.com/ pilotbutte Pete Erickson / The Bulletin
ten statement, issued in response to Dugan’s recent request to the Oregon Department of Justice regarding the prosecution of cases involving attorneys from Flaherty’s law firm. On Monday, Dugan said he asked the Department of Justice to take over the prosecution of the 25 to 30 cases in which Flaherty or either of his partners — one of whom is his wife, Val-
ELECTION 2010 FEDERAL • A3-4
STATE
• GOP captures scores of House seats in what could be largest swing since 1948. • Victories in key states, and Oregon, help Democrats keep Senate majority. • Electoral maps: House, Senate and governor races.
• Voters approve annual legislative session, but reject pot and casino measures. Page C1 • Democrats look to narrowly hold a majority in both chambers in Salem, but perhaps without a ‘supermajority,’ Page C2
NATIONAL IMPACT
Message from voters: Change is here to stay
erie Wright — is serving as defense counsel. Dugan said he worries his prosecutors have an ethical conflict because Flaherty recently asked them to submit applications if they want to keep their jobs. Flaherty unseated Dugan in the May election and will take office in January. See DA / A6
DESCHUTES COUNTY
CROOK COUNTY
JEFFERSON COUNTY
• Capell wins Bend City Council post; second race too tight to call. Page C1 • DeBone beats Brown for spot on Deschutes commission. Page C1
• Hensley ousts longtime Sheriff Clark. Page C1 • Bowman Museum tax approved in a landslide. Page C6
• Jail levy fails. Page C1 • Mayor Clanton keeps her post. Page C3 • Poole wins Culver council race. Page C3
A clear win for Conger; Dudley, Kitzhaber wait Rep.Stiegler loses seat in closely watched race for House District 54
The Washington Post
By Nick Budnick The Bulletin
Ryan Brennecke / The Bulletin
Governor’s race too close to call; Multnomah votes likely to be key
Jason Conger is congratulated by his supporters following the first report of election results Tuesday evening in southwest Bend.
By Keith Chu The Bulletin
INDEX Abby
E2
Business
B1-6
Calendar
E3
Local
C1-6
Movies
E3
Obituaries
C5
Classified
F1-8
Shopping
E1-6
Comics
E4-5
Sports
D1-6
Crossword E5, F2
Stocks
B4-5
Editorial
TV listings
E2
Weather
C6
C4
Election A2-4, C1-6
Patrick Flaherty
• Find your complete election scorecard on Page A2.
By Karen Tumulty There is no blunter way for the voters to send a message: For the third election in a row, Americans appear poised to kick a political party out of power. With their own lives and livelihoods on the edge, politicians are now on notice from the moment they lift their hands to take the oath of office. “The message is, ‘We hate what you are doing, and we’re going to bring in an army of change agents to change our government,’” said Democratic pollster Peter Hart. “What it boils down to is, 2006, 2008 and 2010 are the same election.” The actual results from the elections have varied, of course. In 2006, both houses of Congress changed hands, from Republican to Democrat; in 2008, control of the White House followed, and this year, it looks as though the House of Representatives will again be under Republican control. Such rapid reversals are something relatively new in modern American politics. It had taken four decades of Democratic control before voters elected to hand the House over to Newt Gingrich and his band of Republican revolutionaries in 1994. Merely 12 years later, the Democrats were back in control. And now, only four years later, the Republicans are on the verge of seizing it again. See Midterms / A4
Mike Dugan
In the race for Oregon’s highest office, Republican Chris Dudley held a narrow lead over former Gov. John Kitzhaber as of late Tuesday night, but the gubernatorial contest was still too close to call. The race pitted former two-term Democratic governor Kitzhaber against political novice and former Portland Trail Blazer-turned-financial adviser Dudley, for the right to helm a state facing a budget deficit expected to top $3 billion next biennium. Vote totals seesawed between the two major party candidates throughout the night. Both candidates were optimistic they’d come out on top when all the votes are tallied today or later this week. See Governor / A2
SALEM — Republican Jason Conger handily unseated Judy Stiegler in the race to represent the city of Bend in the state House of Representatives on Tuesday night. “I feel fantastic,” he said. “I feel like our message obviously was well-received by the voters here.” Judy Stiegler, the incumbent, said she was disappointed, calling it a “tough race,” but said she would continue serving the community. “I’m proud of my service to the district,” she said. Stiegler’s apparent loss was just one of several races that seemed to point to the end of Democrats’ three-fifths supermajority in the House of Representatives. The race for Oregon House District 54, which represents Bend and Deschutes River Woods, pitted Stiegler, a lawyer and former Bend-La Pine School Board member, against two challengers: Republican nominee Conger, a business lawyer and former congressional aide, and Mike Kozak, a real estate agent and former Bend city councilor who is unaffiliated with either major party. Kozak, who was trailing the two other candidates in the early results, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. The race has been one of the state’s most closely watched, with many observers rating Stiegler as the Democratic incumbent most likely to be ousted. See District 54 / A4
State representative
Governor
• 54TH DISTRICT Photos by The Associated Press
Republican Chris Dudley and Democrat John Kitzhaber both held election night rallies in Portland, though neither could declare victory.
We use recycled newsprint The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper
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Vol. 107, No. 307, 38 pages, 6 sections
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John Kitzhaber
Chris Dudley
Greg Kord
Wes Wagner
Judy Stiegler
Jason Conger
Mike Kozak
Democrat, Independent 516,363 votes
Republican 534,414 votes
Constitution 14,851 votes
Libertarian 13,963 votes
1.4%
1.3%
Republican, Independent 11,569 votes
Nonaffiliated 1,275 votes
49.4%
Democrat, Working Families 8,433 votes
39.6%
54.3%
47.7%
WEB EXTRA: Election photo gallery Capturing Tuesday night in pictures, with a Central Oregon focus. www.bendbulletin.com/election2010
Initial election results
Initial election results
6%