Oregon gubernatorial candidate Dennis Richardson is defending votes he made in the legislature in favor of his opponent's political priorities.
The Republican state representative made his comments Wednesday during an interview on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Richardson acknowledged that he did vote for major health care and education bills backed by incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber. He said the problem is that the governor failed to put the right people in place after the bills passed.
"He had ideas. The problem is in the implementation,” Richardson said. “And so the challenge that he's had is that he hasn't been able to implement. He hasn't been able to bring about the results that he promised."
Richardson and Republicans are turning up the heat on Kitzhaber, who's seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office.
The Democrat has faced questions about the role of Kitzhaber's fiancée, Cylvia Hayes. Republicans plan to file a complaint with the Oregon Ethics Commission asking for a formal investigation of the first lady.