Representing Josephine County, Not a Party

I hear and read questions from people across our community in all kinds of places, and some deserve more than a quick response. This series of question and answer posts gives me the opportunity to answer questions thoughtfully and share those responses with others who may be asking the same question. Please read a recent question and my response below:

Question:

Josephine County has historically leaned politically conservative, while you are seeking office as a Democrat. If the priorities of Democratic leadership in Salem were to conflict with what you believed was in the best interest of the residents of House District 3, how would you approach that disagreement, and where would your responsibility to your district stand in relation to your responsibility to your party?

This question originally appeared in a Grants Pass Tribune article: Read More

Answer:

Josephine County comes first.

I’m a Democrat and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. I’m also running to represent everyone in House District 3, including the people who won’t vote for me and the people who disagree with me. That isn’t a difficult position to hold. It’s the job.

It’s fair to say plainly that the majority in Salem is typically too focused on the Portland metro area, and that policies built for a large city don’t usually fit here. When that happens, I’ll say so, argue for something different, and vote against my own party when that’s what serving this district requires.

None of that is theoretical for me. When the state eliminated the county commissions on children and families and ordered Josephine and Jackson counties to merge into one regional structure, I was at the front of that room. Two counties, very different politics, and a real risk that the smaller one would simply be absorbed. In the end, Josephine County had an equal share of seats on the governance council and our programs maintained their funding. When you put the people being served at the center of the room, you’d be surprised how often the politics fade into the background in the interest of getting things done.

I don’t think independence should be measured by how often a legislator votes no. It should be measured by what they get accomplished for the people they have been elected to serve.

That’s where being in the majority matters for this district, and not as a question of loyalty. It’s proximity. In the majority, you argue while a bill is still being written. In the minority, you mostly object after it’s finished.

My job wouldn’t be to bring Salem’s priorities home to Josephine County. It would be to bring Josephine County’s priorities to Salem, and to come back with something to show for it.

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