Lieutenant Governor’s Race Anderson Vs. Owen: Two State Senators Vie For Light-Duty Position

The campaign for lieutenant governor, or “light governor” as the office is known because of its limited duties, is being waged by two candidates seeking the post to promote pet causes.

Democratic state Sen. Brad Owen of Shelton is a feisty, drum-beating anti-drug crusader, while Republican Sen. Ann Anderson of Acme is a self-described “horse mom” who fights to rein in regulations on businesses when she’s not working in the stables.

Both are veteran, accomplished lawmakers making a second bid for statewide office. The winner will succeed Republican Joel Pritchard, who is retiring after two terms in the $62,700-a-year post.

The lieutenant governor is the state’s second-in-command and serves as acting governor when the chief executive is outside the state or otherwise unavailable for duty. The lieutenant governor also presides over the Senate, which is in session only a few months a year, and serves on a number of state boards.

The duties are so limited compared to other statewide posts that a third candidate, Shawn Newman of Ross Perot’s fledgling Reform Party, has pledged to cut the salary and refuse a pension if elected. Those promises apparently didn’t impress voters in the September primary: Newman finished 13th out of 14 candidates.

If the totals from the primary are any indication, Owen is in the driver’s seat. He got 242,000 of the 1 million votes cast, and the six Democrats in the race outpolled five Republicans by 169,000 votes.

At 46, Owen is a 20-year veteran of the Legislature who’s best known for visiting schools with his “Strategies for Youth” program, which combines rock music with an anti-drug message.

He plays a variety of instruments, but drums are his favorite.

If elected, Owen says he would use the time when the Legislature is not in session to educate children and adults about the dangers of drug abuse.

“Most of the work that needs to be done involves rolling up the sleeves and going out in the community,” he says.

“The office of lieutenant governor, because you have a responsibility that’s limited, gives you the time and the opportunity to put a considerable amount of effort into issues outside the Legislature.”

Owen, who narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for the post in 1988, is from the conservative wing of his party and has occasionally crossed party lines to give Republicans the extra vote they need to control legislation in the Senate, where Democrats have a one-vote advantage.

Anderson cruised to victory in the GOP primary, defeating fellow state Sen. Jim West.

Anderson, 44, a former teacher and accountant who has been a senator for 10 years, wants to use the lieutenant governor’s office to give upstart businesses a break by reforming the state’s complicated regulatory system. Although the position has no authority in that area, she said the state’s second-in-command is perfectly positioned to coordinate changes through the legislative and executive branches of government.

“Republican and Democrat candidates for governor are stressing the need to cut government red tape and take unnecessary burdens off of our business community,” she says.

“We need a lieutenant governor who will make sure our next governor lives up to those promises.”

Anderson, who has been endorsed by Pritchard, describes herself as a “technocrat” more interested in finetuning the details of legislation than making long, passionate speeches. She spends her spare time tending the family stable with her daughter.

Anderson was the party nominee for lands commissioner in 1992, but lost the election to Democrat Jennifer Belcher.

She and Owen are friends and have conducted a civil campaign.

Each supports the other’s pet cause, but each contends the other would be more effective staying in the Senate.