Oregon candidate with MS makes electrifying entrance

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Bill Bradbury isn’t just running for Oregon governor. He’s zipping — on a Segway.

Using the personal transporter is one way the Democratic politician deals with the effects of multiple sclerosis. He was diagnosed with the disease 30 years ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the most exuberant and popular figures on Oregon’s political scene.

Tall and lanky, he glides into campaign events on his electric stand-up vehicle, his booming laugh often heralding his arrival.

The disease has affected his physical skills, he says, but not his mental abilities or his capacity to govern.

“I get energized by the challenge of this campaign,” he says. “I really feel like the disability doesn’t interfere with my ability to serve the people of this state.”

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York says Bradbury is the only candidate with MS running for a statewide office in 2010 that it knows of. Spokeswoman Arney Rosenblat said the group is delighted Bradbury deals openly with his condition.

“He certainly is a role model, particularly for people who are newly diagnosed with MS and may be uncertain about their future,” Rosenblat says. “It’s important for them to see that they can fulfill their potential and pursue their dreams.”

She notes that Bradbury isn’t the only officeholder with MS to achieve prominence, citing two former members of Congress, Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and Rep. Barbara Jordan of Texas. A current member of Congress, Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio, was diagnosed with the disease in 2003.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms range from reduced mobility and numbness to blindness and paralysis.

Mentally, Bradbury is sharp, but physically, the MS has taken a toll. He has a noticeable limp and unsteady gait, and he tires after standing or walking for too long. Over the years, he’s taken to using a sit-down scooter and cane. He began using the Segway a few weeks ago.

Bradbury has his work cut out for him in the race to succeed Gov. Ted Kulongoski. John Kitzhaber, governor from 1995 to 2003, is widely regarded as the favorite to win May’s Democratic primary.