Race to replace Rep. Annessa Hartman features three-way battle for Oregon swing seat

Hartman, who has endorsed Sugar, has represented the office since 2023 and championed legislation to improve access to cervical cancer treatment and protect student survivors of sexual assault. She also drew the ire of some within her caucus after she broke with her party to oppose its 2025 special session $4.3 billion transportation package, much of which was funded by gas and transportation tax increases that voters rejected during the May primary.

The 40th House District’s demographics favor Democrats, with more than 17,300 registered voters identifying with the party in comparison to less than 12,900 identifying with Republicans, according to state voter registration data from October. Most voters in the district, nearly 19,000, identify as nonaffiliated.

Hartman beat Baker by fewer than 200 votes in 2022, the last time it was an open seat. Without an incumbent, Republicans view the district as one of their best opportunities to gain ground at the Capitol.

Baker did not respond to emails or a phone call and voicemail from the Capital Chronicle. 

Hubbell, who owns the Portland-based Brooklyn Pharmacy, told the Capital Chronicle that he sees himself as a centrist, slightly left-leaning, candidate who can bring people together to compromise on difficult issues such as tax increases. His main focus, however, is on healthcare and advocating for pharmacies.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding. There’s a lot of misquotes. There’s a lot of data misused against us, if you will,” Hubbell said. ”So I felt it was important that I run for the Legislature to help inform other legislators about what’s happening in pharmacy to help them understand the truth in the matter.”

Sugar, meanwhile, said he was inspired to run after he began to question as a debate coach and teacher why so many students had “unmet needs” when Oregon was spending significantly more on education than other states in the nation. He is also concerned about the cost of living, an issue which he has closely followed as a volunteer in politics since the financial recession of 2008.

“I just managed to barely buy a home a little over a year ago. It took working three jobs to do it, teaching plus two side gigs basically,” he said. “There are certainly some legislators that you know have gone through that, but not a lot, and I want to bring that perspective there.”

Baker touts law enforcement experience

Baker came within 200 votes of winning the seat in 2022, and his campaign website alludes to that:  “We came so close in 2022. Let’s get the job done!”

He touts his experience in law enforcement, as he spent more than 25 years with the Gresham Police Department, including as a detective and hostage negotiator.

Baker’s top issues include the cost of living, making homeownership achievable again, creating neighborhood safety, achieving progress on addiction and mental health and improving schools for every child, according to his campaign website. He promised to respect voters’ rejection of the gas tax on the May ballot, oppose tolling on Interstate 205, fight “runaway” utility bills, build more housing and protect crime victims.

“Every decision I make in Salem will be measured against one standard: does it make life in our district safer, more affordable, and more full of opportunity?” he wrote. “I’ll bring honest, transparent, results-oriented leadership — and I’ll answer to the families and neighborhoods of House District 40, no one else.”

Hubbell says healthcare informs larger perspective

Much of Hubbell’s focus has been on pharmaceutical issues, and he had few details to offer on other policy areas. But he said he also wants to look at other state agencies such as the Oregon Health Authority, which he said could be more streamlined.

“From the small pieces I’ve seen with OHA and how they run their pharmacy program, there’s some inefficiencies there. There are also some things that create losses to the state because they’re using outside sources to provide these pharmaceutical care services,” he said. “I also think that there’s an autonomy of look. I’m a business owner. I understand what it takes to balance the books and make sure that we’re efficient and effective.”

When it comes to transportation, he said that Oregon lawmakers need to look at ways to find revenue for the Oregon Department of Transportation. He supports the agency focusing on core activities such as road maintenance and repairing potholes. 

He expressed hesitancy at creating tolling systems for Oregon highways, which other states have created but Oregon has not. He added that increased taxes should be offset by “some type of savings for the families.”

“If we have somebody who’s making good decisions, let’s move forward with that. If we have someone making bad decisions, let’s either provide corrective action or you know do away with that situation to move forward,” he said. “I really feel that I have the ability to look at my own biases to extrapolate that into what’s the common good for the community and be very altruistic about it. 

Sugar seeks to continue Hartman’s work, address cost of living

Sugar said he will prioritize finding common ground with lawmakers in Salem, pointing to his family and noting that he is the “child of bipartisan parents.” His endorsements span the political spectrum from Democratic-friendly unions representing teachers and unions to the political action committee representing Oregon Business and Industry.

He said he hears a lot from voters about improving education outcomes, opposing tolling and ensuring the state is a collaborative partner on maintaining Willamette Falls between West Linn and Oregon City, priorities he says he will take to the Legislature.

“I host Thanksgiving, so, it’s working with people who have different views, whether that’s politically, generationally, culturally,” he said. “That is something I’m used to and something I like. And I find that we get better solutions when we do that.”

Although Hartman and Sugar have not spoken specifically about the work they want to see continue being done by whoever represents the 40th House District, Sugar said he takes Hartman’s work on issues such as domestic violence and women’s health seriously and hopes to continue it. In 2025, Hartman sponsored a state law which ensures people charged with violent crimes for domestic violence cannot have their charges merged and avoid accountability for committing more than one offense. 

Sugar has said he will wait for a state audit of the Department of Transportation before he expresses support for a new revenue source, such as a fee structure that doesn’t raise costs for all Oregonians but instead on those with high-value vehicles. Asked about other tax changes in the upcoming session, he pointed to potential changes to the corporate activity tax, which he said is “catching more fish in the net than was expected.” The tax, which funds education, appliles to businesses with more than $1 million in sales or other business activity pay, costing $250 plus 0.57% on their commercial activity beyond the $1 million threshold.

“We have an awesome downtown in Oregon City, for example. Gladstone has a great downtown. There are businesses throughout the unincorporated areas,” he said. “I want those to carry forward — and they are overwhelmingly, locally owned local businesses —- and really want to make sure that we protect them.”

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