Daniel Bonham -- Oregon State Senate, 26th District, Republican Primary

First and foremost, my love of Oregon and shared values with those in the district. Two other primary reasons: Legislative and private sector experience. There is a significant learning curve in Salem. I’ve been serving as a State Rep for 4.5 years. In that time I’ve had both successes and learning opportunities. Running a small business gives me depth of knowledge and practical experience to draw from when I advocate, or go toe to toe with colleagues in policy discussions. District 26 has a lot of small businesses and farms and they deserve a strong voice in Salem.

2. A lack of affordable housing is a community concern throughout the Gorge. What role do you believe the state is able to play in finding solutions, and what solutions do you support?

First, we need to examine the role the state has already played in the current housing market. By restricting developable land and stacking layers of taxation — in the form of regulation, licensing, and development fees — government has made building houses expensive. Everyone wants more affordable housing — it’s a non-partisan issue. I think the quickest and most effective method of easing the cost burden on the local market is to remove some of the state’s barriers to access and taxation. Oregon ought to offer tax incentives for workforce housing. Ultimately, we need a combination of public and private sector solutions.

3. The pandemic has exposed significant disparities between Oregonians in their ability to access the Internet, earn a living wage and obtain healthcare. How should the state address these disparities?

Oregonians shouldn’t look to the state to solve these issues. Oregon should remove obstacles that make it harder to make advances in these areas. Inflation is out of control, and it’s scary for those on fixed incomes. Oregon needs to foster a robust economy, not increase the depth and breadth of state bureaucracy. We also need to strengthen our education system to ensure opportunities for employees to have the knowledge and training necessary for higher wage jobs. All options need to be on the table with respect to health care to ensure the greatest quality of and access to service.

4. What do you see as Oregon’s greatest challenge going forward?

Economic recovery. Policies imposed by the legislature under one-party rule have dis-incentivized small business development, and have motivated people to move to other states. We have to change this trajectory immediately. If not, Oregon will continue falling behind, even when the U.S. economy begins to rebound.