Listed below are candidates for Oregon State Representative who are running in Multnomah County in the 2022 General Election. The candidates for the same legislative district were asked the same questions, so you can compare their answers. (In video interviews, candidates were asked as many questions as time allowed.)
Most of the information below is copied from the VOTE411 website of the League of Women Voters of the United States. Candidates have until Election Day to add their information to this website. Another way to easily compare candidates running for the same position is to visit VOTE411.org. On this webpage and on Vote411, links to LWV videos of candidate interviews are provided, when these are available.
Oregon State Representative, 46th District – Candidate Information
Khanh Pham, Democrat, Working Families
Timothy R. Sytsma, Republican
Timothy Sytsma did not respond to VOTE411 questions. He also chose not to submit a statement for the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. We cannot find a campaign website for him. However, he did participate in a LWV Video Voters’ Guide interview during the 2022 Primary Election. The recording of that interview is here: https://youtu.be/9Dmo-2CBVAM
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
1. Do you support or oppose the gun safety measure (Measure 114) on the November ballot? Please explain your answer.
Khanh Pham: I support Measure 114 and was an early endorser of this common sense gun safety measure. Fully 70% of the people who are killed by gun violence in the Portland area are Black, Indigenous and People of Color. I’m voting yes on Measure 114 because I know it will help reduce gun violence and make all our communities safer.
Timothy R Sytsma: Candidate has not yet responded.
2. What steps, if any, should the legislature take to address the climate emergency and its impacts on Oregonians?
Khanh Pham: Transportation contributes 40% of Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions, and if we’re serious about meeting our climate goals, we must transform our transportation system to support all modes of travel and expand access for all Oregonians. As the newest member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, I will oppose transportation projects that don’t align with our state’s climate goals and the GHG emissions reductions required of every state agency in the Governor’s Executive Order.
Timothy R Sytsma: Candidate has not yet responded.
3. What more could Oregon do to help people move into safe and stable housing?
Khanh Pham: I’m proud to have passed $765 million for affordable housing preservation and development, downpayment assistance, homeless services, tenant supports, and more. We need to tackle the housing crisis at every level–from immediate tenant protections like lowering the cap on how much landlords can increase the rent, to enabling more apartments and affordable housing, particularly in areas that need more affordable housing.
Timothy R Sytsma: Candidate has not yet responded.
Oregon State Representative, 47th District – Candidate Information
Bill Stewart, Republican
Bill Stewart has not yet answered questions from VOTE411. He also chose not to submit a statement for the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. We cannot find a campaign website for him.
Andrea Valderrama, Democrat
Andrea Valderrama has not yet answered questions from VOTE411. However, she submitted a statement that is printed on page 51 of the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. Her website is https://www.dreafororegon.com. She also is a current Oregon State Representative for District 47: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/valderrama
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
Neither Bill Stewart nor Andrea Valderrama has responded to these questions yet.
1. Do you support or oppose the gun safety measure (Measure 114) on the November ballot? Please explain your answer.
2. What steps, if any, should the legislature take to address the climate emergency and its impacts on Oregonians?
3. What more could Oregon do to help people move into safe and stable housing?
Oregon State Representative, 48th District – Candidate Information
John Masterman, Republican
Hoa H. Nguyễn, Democrat, Working Families, Independent
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
1. Do you support or oppose the gun safety measure (Measure 114) on the November ballot? Please explain your answer.
John Masterman: There is no denying that violent crime is on the rise. Law abiding citizens aren’t the problem. Criminals are. Criminals don’t follow the laws. Restricting gun access for law abiding citizens will not reduce “gun violence”. Guns don’t do bad things. People with bad intentions do bad things. I oppose measure 114.
Hoa H Nguyen: I support Measure 114 because we need to ensure gun safety and responsible gun ownership. Measure 114 will not solve the complex issues around gun violence, nor will it make up for the lives that were lost due to gun violence. However, Measure 114 will put us in the direction of creating a safer community.
2. What steps, if any, should the legislature take to address the climate emergency and its impacts on Oregonians?
John Masterman: There are ways to reduce the carbon footprint caused by Oregonians that don’t require burdensome financial measures. Everyone wants to have a better planet for future generations than we have now. Financially crushing the average person is not the way to achieve that goal. Technology can evolve, but cannot be forced.
Hoa H Nguyen: As a long time youth advocate in public education, Climate Justice is the number one issue that youth in Oregon cares about. It is important, as leaders we uplift the values of your young voices and provide a better future for them. We can address climate change in a myriad of ways, but I am most interested in addressing climate change and its impact with students, families, schools, and my community in House District 48.
3. What more could Oregon do to help people move into safe and stable housing?
John Masterman: Make it more appealing to work toward safe and stable housing rather than living on the streets. Encourage working toward the goal of improving one’s life. Handouts are meant to help people until they are able to take care of themselves, not be a way of life. Some require more help than others, and that should be available as needed. Being willing to play by an organized society’s rules is necessary. That includes following the laws.
Hoa H Nguyen: The truth is, many Oregonians are only a paycheck away from homelessess, including myself as a working educator. To address housing in our community is multilayered which includes economic stability, education, health and healthcare, social/community, and the neighborhoods and environments we live in. We need to address housing needs through health and community related services by creating access with crisis and prevention support. How can we break the vicious cycle of poverty?
Oregon State Representative, 49th District – Candidate Information
Zach Hudson, Democrat, Independent, Working Families
Randy E. Lauer, Republican
Randy Lauer has not answered the VOTE411 questions yet. However, he submitted a statement that is printed on page 53 of the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. His website is https://electrandylauer.com
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
1. Do you support or oppose the gun safety measure (Measure 114) on the November ballot? Please explain your answer.
Zach Hudson: I support Measure 114 and other common-sense gun safety regulations.
Randy E Lauer: Candidate has not yet responded.
2. What steps, if any, should the legislature take to address the climate emergency and its impacts on Oregonians?
Zach Hudson: We need to continue our work on transitioning to a net-zero carbon economy by incentivizing and investing in clean energy.
Randy E Lauer: Candidate has not yet responded.
3. What more could Oregon do to help people move into safe and stable housing?
Zach Hudson: Oregon needs to invest in housing and provide direct support to those who need it. It’s cheaper in the long-run than trying to help families regain housing once it is lost.
Randy E Lauer: Candidate has not yet responded.
Oregon State Representative, 50th District – Candidate Information
Ricki Ruiz, Democrat, Independent, Working Families
Amelia Salvador, Republican
Amelia Salvador has not yet answered the VOTE411 questions. However, she did submit a statement that is posted on page 54 of the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. Her website is https://ameliafororegon.com.
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
1. Do you support or oppose the gun safety measure (Measure 114) on the November ballot? Please explain your answer.
Ricki Ruiz: I know that we have responsible gun owners who are keeping their guns in lockers, keeping them away from other family members, and they shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of other people. Yet we need to work together in making sure guns do not fall into the wrong hands. We need to have common sense gun safety measures like complete background checks and firearm training. This measure is not perfect by any means, but I support Measure 114 to reduce gun violence.
Amelia Salvador: Candidate has not yet responded.
2. What steps, if any, should the legislature take to address the climate emergency and its impacts on Oregonians?
Ricki Ruiz: As a father, I believe it is more important than ever to build a sustainable future for generations to come. That is why it is so important to invest in renewable energy solutions, so our money can stay in Oregon and create good paying jobs. I will also continue efforts to address the impacts of climate change, such as making a comprehensive plan to prevent and respond to wildfires.
Amelia Salvador: Candidate has not yet responded.
3. What more could Oregon do to help people move into safe and stable housing?
Ricki Ruiz: We have taken a lot of actions that will have an effect. Yet, there is still more work to be done. We need more support for mental health services to help cities address homelessness more effectively than our system currently allows. We also need to do a better job of addressing the cost of housing because the cost of living is getting so high. As state representative, it is my commitment to ensure these investments are efficient and effective before going into full effect.
Amelia Salvador: Candidate has not yet responded.
Oregon State Representative, 52nd District – Candidate Information
Jeff Helfrich, Republican
Jeff Helfrich has not yet answered the VOTE411 questions. However, he did submit a statement that is posted on page 55 of the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. His website is https://www.helfrichfororegon.com.
Darcy Long, Democrat, Independent, Working Families
Darcy Long has not yet answered the VOTE411 questions. However, she did submit a statement that is posted on page 55 of the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. Her website is https://www.longfororegon.com.
Candidates’ Answers to LWV Questions
Neither Jeff Helfrich nor Darcy Long has responded to these questions yet.