§ ORS § 260.550Use of term “incumbent.”

(1) No person shall describe a candidate as the incumbent in the office to
which the candidate seeks nomination or election in any material, statement or
publication supporting the election of the candidate, with knowledge or with
reckless disregard that the description is a false statement of material fact.

(2) For purposes
of this section, a candidate shall be considered an “incumbent” if the
candidate:

(a) Was elected
to the identical office in the most recent election to fill that office and is
serving and has served continuously in that office from the beginning of the
term to which the candidate was elected; or

(b) Was appointed
to the identical office after the most recent election to fill that office and
is serving and has served continuously in that office from the date of
appointment.

(3) If district
boundaries have changed since the previous election or the appointment, a
candidate shall be considered an “incumbent” if the candidate:

(a) Was elected
to an office of the same name as the office to which the candidate seeks
nomination or election at the most recent election to fill that office and is
serving and has served continuously in that office from the beginning of the
term to which the candidate was elected; or

(b) Was appointed
to an office of the same name as the office to which the candidate seeks
nomination or election after the most recent election to fill that office and
is serving and has served continuously in that office from the date of
appointment.

(4) This section
does not apply to any words or statements required by law to be included in any
statement produced by a filing officer or listed on a ballot. [1993 c.383 §3]



260.552 [Formerly 260.500; 1973 c.744 §38;
repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]