PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury is dead at age 73.
Bradbury established Oregon’s first-in-the-nation system of voting by mail. He also advocated for environmental issues and ran for governor, all while battling multiple sclerosis.
Bradbury died after unexpected medical complications during a six-month cruise with his wife, Katy Eymann.
Bradbury served 15 years in the Oregon Legislature, retiring from the statehouse in 1995 to fight the shrinking of salmon populations. In 1999, Gov. John Kitzhaber appointed Bradbury secretary of state, and Bradbury ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley says Bradbury leaves behind a legacy that will endure for generations.
