Ballots have been mailed out now to Oregon voters and decision time has arrived. Voting matters (anyone who thinks otherwise should remember the year 2000 when the national election was stolen and events were set in motion that would led us to war and economic woes). So here is how I plan to vote in some of the contested races:
President
Barack Obama is my choice. No shock there. I first endorsed Senator Obama about a year ago and have had the chance to meet him twice since then. He was against the war when his main opponent – Senator Clinton – folded in the face of poll numbers and endorsed George W. Bush’s crusade. Senator Obama has detailed positions on the environment and poverty and I expect if elected he won’t abandon his values.
Related Link: Why I'm Joining Obama for America
United States Senate
Steve Novick has had a solid reputation in Oregon politics for many years. My wife worked with him on the campaigns to beat back Bill Sizemore’s attempts to gut funding for Oregon’s schools and social service programs. He won me over when he became the first and only senate candidate to offer up a detailed plan to fight poverty. Jeff Merkley, his primary opponent, hasn’t offered much in the way of specifics and has engaged in negative campaigning. Novick, on the other hand, reminds me of Paul Wellstone and Wayne Morris, two political legends from the senate.
Related Link: Steve Novick Endorsed by Rev. Chuck Currie
Portland Mayor
Sam Adams has earned my vote. Let me tell you something about Sam: he worked, as everyone knows, for Vera Katz when she was mayor. Katz was about as mean as they get and she never forgave anyone who crossed her. It got to the point that our arguments over housing policy were so heated that she wouldn’t talk to me and had this firm habit of having to go to the bathroom every time I got up to testify at council. But Sam kept the communication lines open with me and other advocates. As a city commissioner out on his own, Sam has been a strong supporter of affordable housing and homeless programs. I wish very much that he talked more about those issues in this campaign but I believe is heart is in the right place. Sho Dozono hasn’t given me a reason to vote for him but has offered several reasons not to (including negative statements he made about homeless people during the KGW debate).
Portland City Commissioner, Position # 1
I’m voting for Charles Lewis. Lewis is one of an abundance of Harvard grads we have running in Oregon this year. He founded a music program for kids and has the endorsement of Stand for Children. Portland could use another children’s advocate on the city council. Jeff Bissonnette, who has a solid record in social services, would be my second choice in this race and I hope he runs for another office soon.
Portland City Commissioner, Position #2
This is the position vacated by Erik Sten, a long time friend and homeless advocate. Jim Middaugh, Erik’s former chief of staff, is running for the spot and I’m voting for him. Why? He knows the issues involved and clearly has the kind of progressive values we need on the city council. None of the other candidates has his kind of insight.
Other Important Races
There are, of course, some other races taking place this May. I’ll be voting for Kate Brown for Secretary of State. Jackie Dingfelder should be the next state senator in District 23. Cyreena Boston is running for the Oregon House in District 45 and I think she'll do a terrific job.
Deborah Kafoury is running for Position 1 on the Multnomah County Commission. Liz and I would both be voting for her if we lived in the district. We urge everyone who does live in that part of the county to vote for this experienced former legislator and Transition Projects board chair.
Disclaimer
As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I trust deeply in the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and my endorsements are therefore personal ones and do not reflect on or speak for the church I serve or my denomination. But as a citizen I believe that all Americans must engage in the political process as individuals for democracy to thrive. So I choose to be involved.
