SD-20: The replacement process for Schrader

The results of the 5th Congressional District election have yet to be finalized, but once Secretary of State Bill Bradbury names Kurt Schrader the U.S. Representative-elect, Clackamas County will be faced with the prospect of appointing someone to replace the Canby state senator.

After Schrader officially resigns his senate seat, Clackamas County Democrats will then have 20 days to come up with anywhere between three and five candidates to fill his spot. They then give those names over to the three Clackamas County commissioners, who will have 10 days to vote on Schrader’s replacement.

Here’s where it gets interesting: According to the secretary of state’s office, depending on the timing of Schrader’s resignation, Clackamas County Commissioners Martha Schrader and Bill Kennenmer could end up casting votes for the next Senator from District 20.

Martha Schrader, who is married to soon-to-be U.S. Rep. Schrader, has had her name had been widely whispered among local Democrats as a possible replacement for her husband well before Election Day.

The other likely candidate for the seat is Toby Forsberg, who is coming off a tough and sometimes bitter campaign against Clackamas County Commissioner Bill Kennemer.

Forsberg’s potential candidacy has popped up in recent days as it became more apparent that Kennemer will probably win the HD-39 seat.

Calls to Kennemer regarding if he would be willing to vote Forsberg into the Senate after their House fight were not immediately returned. And, there doesn’t seem to be anything in the law to stop Martha Schrader from voting herself into her husband's old seat.

That doesn’t bode as well for Forsberg's chances.