As the 2022 elections near in a year in which Republicans expect to do well nationally, the hope that statewide coattails will follow combined with the fog of redistricting has inspired several Republican members of the Oregon House to run for the Oregon Senate.

In Salem, two-term Republican Representative Raquel Moore-Green has announced her decision to run in Senate District 10 which includes South Salem, West Salem and the cities of Monmouth and Independence. She will run against Democratic Incumbent Deb Patterson who narrowly defeated Denyc Boles in 2020.

Freshman Representative Suzanne Weber is seeking to take over Senate District 16 which is being vacated by Democrat Senator Betsy Johnson who is set to run for Governor as an Independent. The district includes Tillamook, Clatsop and Columbia Counties.

Representative Daniel Bonham who represents The Dalles and much of the rural Columbia River Gorge will run for Senate District 26 which also includes Sandy and Hood River. He seeks to replace Chuck Thomsen who is retiring from a district that is very tight.

Also declared is Cedric Hayden who will run in Land and Linn Counties in Senate District 6, trying to replace Democrat Lee Beyer, who is retiring.

Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) supports all four candidates, “Raquel, Suzanne, Daniel, and Cedric are proven leaders who have fought for a better Oregon. I welcome their decisions to step up and run for the Senate.

“Oregonians are desperate for new leadership. Voters are angry and anxious about the direction of the state. They want public safety, real solutions on homelessness, no heavy-handed government controlling their lives, and parents need to be part of education decisions in the classroom. Making progress on these issues starts electing more Republicans to the Senate.”

Knopp focused on Moore-Green's opponent in Salem. “Since getting elected, Senator Patterson has proven she is out of touch with her constituents. She voted with Portland liberals 99.99% of the time to advance the same tired policies that have made Oregon a more expensive place to live and raise a family.

“In just one year, she has voted to keep schools closed, against bolstered funding for law enforcement, and has sided with Governor Kate Brown’s extreme overreach. She has voted to continue the same policies that have made homelessness in Salem worse. She has even advocated taking school resource officers out of schools, which has led to fights in Salem-Keizer schools to increase by 42%.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-12-09 09:11:41

Last Update: 2021-12-09 10:12:45