4 minute read
Opinion
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DOCTORS: BYRON MAAS, TABITHA JOHNSTON, LAUREN HOFFMAN, LAURA ACEVEDO, COURTNEY MCLAUGHLAN, BRIAN LOUDIS, & KELLI SMITH
We endorsed Jamie McLeod-Skinner, an attorney, engineer and Regional Emergency Coordinator in the primary when she knocked out Kurt Schrader, and our endorsement stands in the general election, too. McLeod-Skinner has worked to introduce herself and share ideas with not just those of the Democratic party that she falls under, but rural and conservative voters, too.
She’s served as a city councilor on the Santa Clara, California, City Council and as a city manager for the city of Phoenix, Oregon. She also has experience in water resource planning, having worked in Bosnia as a reconstruction and water program manager for the International Rescue Committee. She’s a strong advocate for more resources and advocacy for veterans.
Calling herself a “rural Democrat,” McLeod-Skinner takes a balanced approach to hot-button issues including gun control, being in favor of things like waiting periods before gun sales, universal background checks, regulating bump stocks and limiting military assault-style weapons.
Congressional District 5 is a new district with newly drawn lines that connect the voters of Bend and Central Oregon with those as far away as the Sellwood Bridge in the Portland metropolitan area. Any candidate who wants to win in this district, where there is no incumbent, has the tough job of not only introducing themselves to a large contingent of people who have never seen the candidate at work, but also, convincing voters that they’re the best candidate for the job.
Republican candidate Lori ChavezDeRemer has failed at that.
The number of fabrications coming out of Chavez-DeRemer’s campaign are many. However, the most potent reason for concern is her lackluster ability to show up for the people of Central Oregon. Back in April, ahead of the primary, Chavez-DeRemer’s campaign told us they “look forward to building a relationship as we move forward to the general [election].” That has not materialized. Chavez-DeRemer has cherrypicked who she will talk to and who she won’t—exactly the type of behavior that her “mentors” such as Greg Walden engaged in, as well. We expect that ChavezDeRemer will carry forward this selectivity regarding who she’ll represent if elected. Chavez-DeRemer is prone to using terms like “radical left” to describe her opponent Jamie McLeod-Skinner, when it’s her behavior that is out of step with the values of her district. On Indigenous People’s Day, a recognized holiday in Oregon and 13 other states, ChavezDeRemer posted “Happy Columbus Day” on her social media feeds in protest. She continues to refuse to endorse the results of the last presidential election. She supports a near-total abortion ban in Oregon. McLeod-Skinner believes people should be able to make their own reproductive choices. Chavez-DeRemer claims her opponent defunded the police when in reality McLeod-Skinner has advocated for law enforcement support. Unfortunately, Chavez-DeRemer appears to be campaigning on a fear-and-misconception playbook to scare people into voting for her.
Jamie McLeod-Skinner has never shied away from meeting any group— regardless of political affiliation. A person who demonstrates the ability to bridge the urban-rural divide is the type of person we want representing us in Congress. Vote Jamie McLeod-Skinner for Oregon’s Congressional District 5.
Vote Tina Kotek for Oregon Governor
There’s lots to chew on in this governor’s race, with the ideal of a “third party” non-affiliated candidate in the mix. But the reality of a third candidate has proved a hard pill to swallow. While our editorial board gave serious weight to the benefits of a candidate who could sit in the middle of the aisle, like most voters, we ended up placing our endorsement with the candidate who can best deliver on the political vision we have for the state. While we enjoy the idea of a governor who’s free of the pressures of party politics, that’s not what we imagine politics in Salem would look like. Betsy Johnson jumped into this race to be a punch in the gut to the two parties, but in reality, she hasn’t shown her case to be strong enough to end up
