Clarno Officially Sworn-In, Milestones Reached

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The swearing in of Oregon’s secretary of state marks the first time that women have held four of five statewide offices in the state.

Having just turned 83, Bev Clarno is also the oldest person to have ever held the office. Clarno, with several generations of her family standing around her on Wednesday as she took the oath of office from Oregon’s first female chief justice, said ageism belongs in the dustbin of history along with racism and sexism.

Clarno succeeds Dennis Richardson, a Republican who died in February of brain cancer. As the state’s top election official, Clarno will be responsible for overseeing the 2020 elections.