5 minute read
Opinion
OPINION May Primary Endorsements
Voters will decide who they want to represent them at various levels of government during the November election, but before that are the primaries. In these, a handful of candidates are vying against those in their own party for the opportunity to appear on the November ballot. The Source Weekly’s editorial board has invited candidates in contested races—that is, those with more than one candidate from the same party running—to interview with us and share their perspectives. This week, we roll out our May primary endorsements in the local contested races. Next week, look for our endorsements in the crowded field for governor.
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For more insight, check out our video interviews with each candidate, available on the podcasts and videos tab of bendsource.com.
Courtesy electtonydebone.com/
Tony DeBone for Deschutes County Board of Commissioners Pos. 1, Republican primary
County commissioners handle the relatively mundane business of overseeing land use, the landfill, road maintenance, elections and the public health department, among others. It’s an important role, and one that requires the ability to listen to the concerns of rural, suburban and urban constituents in a county with more unaffiliated voters than those of any party. Imagine our surprise then when candidate Scott Stuart started off our endorsement conversation by talking about his concerns with schools—something outside the purview of county government here in Deschutes County. Stuart made waves in Redmond by passing out gift cards to students to encourage them to defy mask mandates. He’s also the person who dressed up as a Confederate soldier during a Redmond parade—a getup he also sports in a photo on his campaign site.
While Stuart is focused on Home Rule and interpreting the Constitution to ensure no future governor extends emergency powers as long as Gov. Kate Brown did during the pandemic, Tony DeBone is focused on the real—and yes, often mundane—business of county government, including getting a new courthouse built to help manage the needs of a growing population. He’s also supportive of the Joint Office on Homelessness created to tackle that growing issue.
Some Republicans will get stars in their eyes at Stuart’s ability to quote Scripture and the Constitution, all in the name of ensuring he will be able to give Deschutes County residents the far-fetched ability to govern themselves without the big mean state government getting involved. Unfortunately, Stuart isn’t rooting his campaign in the pedantic issues he would actually have control over. DeBone is less flashy, to be sure—but unlike Stuart, he accepts the results of the 2020 election, and as a county commissioner who also has the county clerk’s office and its elections division under him, that’s the kind of Republican we need during these times.
Courtesy crumpackerfororegon.com
Anyone throwing their hat into the race for Congressional District 5 is going to have the hurdle of introducing themselves to the constituency. As a newly redrawn district, even the Democratic incumbent has only represented roughly half of the people who now occupy his district. But among the five candidates running in the Republican primary, just two deigned to show up for their interview. Candidate John Di Paola canceled last minute. Candidate Lori Chavez-Deremer declined until the general election. Candidate Laurel Roses never responded at all, leaving Bendite Madison Oatman and sometimes-Bendite Jimmy Crumpacker to share their views.
Crumpacker’s previous campaign ads during his run in Congressional District 2 painted him as a gun-toting, Trump-loving candidate. This time, he’s presenting a more measured professionalism, focusing his campaign on standard Republican talking points like reining in government spending and inflation. He appeared well prepared in his approach to managing forest fires, mentioning the concept of using satellite technology to monitor fires and suggesting attacking even the smaller ones that are often left alone until they get bigger. While he has not served in public office, Crumpacker has the air of a Washington insider, having studied at Georgetown and touting his ability to raise lots of campaign cash. No doubt he would slide into the role of Congressman quite easily—and if he keeps his priorities focused on the financials and less on the more partisan hot-buttons, he may be able to represent this district adequately.
Oatman, a construction worker, is in this race largely to advocate for medical freedom, the 2nd Amendment and less government overreach in the wake of the pandemic. He believes no one is speaking up for the little guy and he wants to do that. While some of his ideas will appeal to Republican voters still burned by the adversities of the pandemic, we can’t see that platform sustaining a candidate throughout the two years of the term. Still, he’s a bright guy who may serve well in a more local office—provided he can tone down the ire over the pandemic and move onto more present needs.
In this Republican primary, our endorsement goes to Crumpacker.
Courtesy jamiefororegon.com
When the last census finished and it was clear that Oregon’s rapid growth had earned it another congressional seat, there was a great deal of excitement about the possibility that Bend might get greater attention from a new smaller district. When the redistricting settled, our enthusiasm waned. Our new “community of interest” stretched from Clackamas County to Sunriver and has the potential to lead to absentee governing from a Willamette Valley rep too indifferent to show up in Central Oregon. Kurt Schrader is this nightmare come to life.
Even with the advent of Zoom endorsements and debates, Schrader cannot be bothered with the primary. He went so far as to turn down time in front of the City Club of Central Oregon and the League of Women Voters, relying on mail bombardment as a brand-building technique. If Schrader is not interested in women voters in this day and age, we’re not sure where his priorities lie.
Thankfully voters have a thoughtful and passionate candidate who currently resides in Central Oregon and is passionate about representing the district—the whole district. One of the qualities that strikes anyone fortunate enough to spend time discussing the issues with McLeod-Skinner is her voluminous understanding of the concerns facing constituents. We were impressed with her willingness to stand up against the uneven pressure large pharmaceutical companies are exerting on the health care system, her personal involvement in environmental issues—particularly wildfire prevention and recovery, and support for rental assistance. In addition, she has remained steadfast in not accepting PAC money in efforts to get elected, which in this day and age seems like a minor miracle. But for this editorial board, her greatest strength is her humble roots, diverse background and ability to connect with rural voters. In an age when bridging the urban-rural political divide feels like an insurmountable task, McLeod-Skinner’s past campaign in the old CD2 proves she can do just that. Her campaign gives hope to the notion that a single candidate can represent, and perhaps even unite, a district as diverse and large as the new CD5. Jamie McCleod-Skinner deserves your vote.
