Looking out my study window past the wellhouse to the deer in my driveway

I want to secure your rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness for you – today, tomorrow, and far into the future – whether you’re urban, suburban, or rural. I’m running because I care about all Oregonians.

I’m running because I know what it’s like to live in rural Oregon, with the many logistical challenges it presents with water, electricity, Internet, and roads. The last three miles of road to my home are gravel. Washington County does grade the road two or three times a year with road graders, and sends them up the road in the winter to plow the snow. I feel grateful for that – and have learned to park my car at the END of the driveway when snow is in the forecast so I don’t have to clear my entire 150′ driveway. I still have a landline, though, because the cellphone coverage and reception are uneven, and I want a backup in case something happens. For instance, cell service at home stopped altogether last summer when the Verizon tower in Buxton failed. And I’d rather keep the 130 year old grove of 200′ tall Douglas-firs and western red-cedars that surround my house and block Starlink from working.

The nearest store of any kind is four miles and eight minutes away, in Manning. The nearest grocery store is the Thriftway in Banks, eight miles and 15 minutes away. I rely on a well, a septic tank, and a furnace that burns heating oil from a 250 gallon tank. On January 16, I paid $2.98/gallon. On April 1, I paid $5.88/gallon – almost twice the price. I bought 675 gallons in the last 12 months.

Less than half of us in the district live in cities. Our cities are small enough that they have a rural feel: St. Helens is the biggest with 13K people, then Scappoose with 8K, and none of the other incorporated cities – North Plains, Vernonia, Columbia City, Rainier, Banks, Gaston, or Prescott – have even 4K. Regardless of where you live, life is quite different from Portland or suburban Washington County, with distinct needs and challenges to address in the legislature.  I’m here for that.