Published Feb. 8, 2004

Doug Whitsett, a Klamath County veterinarian and president of Water for Life, announced Saturday morning that he will seek the state Senate seat that will be vacated by Sen. Steve Harper at the end of the year.

Whitsett made the announcement at a breakfast gathering hosted by Water for Life at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

Whitsett, a Republican, lives in Klamath County but works at the Water for Life offices in Salem. The group was formed in 1990 to serve as an advocate for agricultural water users in Oregon.

Whitsett moved to the Klamath Basin in 1968 to began his practice of veterinary medicine. He has never before sought an elected office.