Your Voice: Oct. 14, 2026

Commissioner Zoller is the senior member on our Board of County Commissioners with just one full term almost completed. It takes that first term to learn the full job of commissioner and processes that are required for decision making. It also takes that first term to get to know and work with the other elected offices and department directors. These working relationships are built on mutual respect and trust.

Commissioner Zoller has been learning the process and building working relationships with department heads and the other county elected officials. Her next term will be building a strong, respectful, hardworking Board of Commissioners that leads by example. She will be respectful of the elected position she holds and respectful of the citizens of Klickitat County.

Please consider all this and vote for continuity and hard work. Please vote for Lori Zoller.

Jim Sizemore

Centerville

No Kings

On Saturday, Oct. 17, from 2-4 p.m., Protect Oregons Progress (POP), the Indivisible chapter in The Dalles, will be hosting a Vote Early party at City Park at Union and Sixth streets.

This will be a non-partisan event with no candidate speeches for everybody who has voted already, or plans to do so soon after their ballots arrive. We are encouraging all voters to return their ballots at drop boxes and not use the slow mail and take a chance that it doesn’t get postmarked in time.

This will be a family friendly event, so bring those future voters too! There will be games and play space for the little ones. We will also be collecting food for the Food Bank, so if you are able, please bring shelf stable cans of soup to drop in the bin.

We will also be rallying around town earlier in the day to encourage early voting. You can register for the event at www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1025056.

Dean Myerson

The Dalles

 Editor’s Note: Story with full Gorge location list on B2.

Elect Slusher

There are three candidates for Mayor of The Dalles in this election. Two are long time politicians whose time has run out. It is time for fresh ideas, business oriented leadership and common sense. Joseph Slusher is a long time downtown businessman who has a plan for the city. Politicians need to leave after they have stayed too long. When I was mayor, I left after three terms for just that reason. It is too tempting to start believing your own ideas are the best. Fresh ideas, new perspectives and clear thinking is needed as we go forward. Vote Joseph Slusher into office as your next Mayor.

Steve Lawrence

Former The Dalles mayor

Hege equipped

As someone who has farmed in the Hood River Valley for decades, I can safely say that the challenges facing tree-fruit farmers have never felt more daunting. Market forces, pests and weather have always brought their ups and downs. But the accelerating pace of often-misguided government regulations handed down by our well-meaning but ill-informed Legislature has become an additional burden that is making it hard for farmers to stay in business.

Scott Hege’s long experience as a county commissioner has equipped him with the type of proactive leadership and problem-solving that farmers in House District 52 need to represent us in Salem right now. He has met personally with many farmers in the Gorge to hear firsthand about the challenges they are experiencing. He has already collaborated with the Oregon Farm Bureau on a package of policy modifications that provide regulatory relief and has assured us that this proposal will be the first bill he introduces if we elect him to represent us in November. Talking with Scott, it’s easy to understand why he has been endorsed by Oregon Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations in the state.

It’s also critical at this time that we have someone working for us in Salem who knows our Gorge communities well. Life is much different here than in Portland, Chicago, and New York. This is no time to elect someone who needs on-the-job training while still learning the names of roads around our rural farms. We need someone who is ready to go to work on day one. Please join me in voting for Scott Hege for State Representative.

Bruce Decker

Hood River

Bassett, SD26

I support Nicole Bassett for State Senate, District 26.

Nicole spent her career bringing living wages and fair labor standards into the apparel industry, then built a successful small business in Cascade Locks on those same principles. She knows how to get things done, not just promise them. Housing is where we need that most. We’ve built subsidized rentals, and we have very expensive market-rate homes. But the teachers, nurses, and small-business employees in between are being priced out. Nicole treats housing as the economic issue it is, and she knows we need different policies and funding to build homes working families can afford. Vote Nicole Bassett.

Nancy Roach

Hood River

Gun failures

Rep. Jeff Helfrich wants to move up to the State Senate. Before voters hand him a promotion, they should look carefully at his voting records. The written word in newsletters and articles can be vague or even misleading. Actual votes on important issues put clear pins in the map.

Helfrich began his legislative career by voting against HB 4145, which barred people convicted of stalking from possessing firearms (the “boyfriend loophole”). Then he voted no on HB 2005, which prohibited possession of most guns without serial numbers and let cities regulate concealed carry. He voted no on SB 1503, which created a task force on community safety and fire-arm suicide prevention. He voted no on SB 243, which restricted high-speed firing gun accessories and limited firearm possession in public buildings. He even voted no on a bill that simply clarified processes and extended dates in the Reduction of Gun Violence Act.

That is not a set of isolated votes. It is a pattern consistent with the MAGA view that more guns mean more safety, and that stricter gun laws are the enemy. Convicted stalkers, untraceable fire-arms, and suicide prevention were apparently all too much regulation for him.

Helfrich is finishing two terms in the House and is now asking for a Senate seat. If you’re a voter who is alarmed by the gun violence in our daily news feeds, think carefully about that request.

To me it is outrageous that our children need to practice active shooter drills in their classrooms. Our elected representatives should be working to make those drills unnecessary, not voting against every measure that might help.

Thomas Hanlon-Wilde

Hood River

Wants more

I want what Hank Sanders wants for this community. I grew up here, am raising my son here, and am a progressive who has worked on Democratic campaigns.

But Hank Sanders hasn’t earned my vote.

I don’t need my representative to be from here. I need to believe they’re tied to this community, understand its problems and bring experience equal to the work. Hank hasn’t shown me that.

After college and about two years in journalism, Hank was given a job as a legislative aide by his mother, State Sen. Lisa Reynolds. He moved into House District 52 months before filing for office. His mother’s PAC, Friends of Lisa Reynolds, is among his campaign’s largest contributors.

Hank campaigns on problems I’ve watched the people I grew up with live through: years hunting for decent-paying work, unaffordable housing and childcare, and the choice between leaving home and barely affording to stay. Many haven’t been able to make it work. Hank asks to represent those struggles while bringing a thin professional record, a job his mom gave him, a campaign her political organization has helped fund, and almost no history with the community he now wants to represent.

That doesn’t make Scott Hege a good alternative. I have serious concerns about his record on data centers and the overlap between his public service and private-sector work. There’s an argument both candidates view this seat as more of a career opportunity than a public trust. I would be glad for either candidate to show me that concern is misplaced.

Hank is talented and shares many of my values. I don’t begrudge anyone who decides he’s the best choice. But I can’t tell whether this community is the reason for his candidacy or just the venue for it. I don’t know whether he would be here without an open seat to run for — or whether he will stay if he loses.

For my vote, a candidate has to demonstrate a commitment to our community that comes before ambition for office. I hope Hank stays and builds that record here. He simply hasn’t yet.

Jack Patterson

Hood River

Left behind

Last November in Mobile, Alabama, a young Latina single mother named Marlyn was stopped by a police officer and handed over to ICE, even though she was not accused of doing anything wrong and despite having a legal work permit and pending asylum application (Caitlin Dickerson, “The Babies Left Behind in America”: The Atlantic, Sept. 28, 2026). Her two boys, then 7 and 2 years old, were at home. Marlyn pleaded with ICE officials to be reunited with her boys before she was deported back to Venezuela. ICE officials made no effort to do so. Her traumatized children were taken in by a cousin and have since been split up and cared for by a network of Marlyn’s family, friends, and coworkers. While a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denies any intentional separation of kids from their parents, reality suggests otherwise — as of April, about 205,000 kids (71% US citizens) have been forcefully separated from one of their two parents and more than 35,000 children have been separated from their only parent (Brookings Institute data). Many, if not most, may end up in our overburdened foster care systems, with their parents never being able to find them again. I believe America is better than this.

Your vote this November matters. If this kind of abject cruelty inflicted on innocent kids and grieving parents turns your stomach as it does mine, consider that those candidates endorsed by this administration would, if elected, be highly likely to go along with such policies. Voting is not just about picking our preferred conservatives, moderates, or liberals. It’s about electing trustworthy representatives willing to guide our country into doing what’s right.  In the upcoming midterms, may our hearts help guide our votes.

Tom Pierson

Glenwood

For Gambee

If Lisa Gambee is elected as our next Wasco County Commissioner in November, she will bring with her an extensive resume of public-sector experience and know-how, as well as private sec-tor entrepreneurship and communication skills to the job. As our Wasco County Clerk for almost a decade, Lisa served the County with integrity, transparency, and accountability. And as County Clerk, she safeguarded our elections process, strengthened public trust, and ensured that every vote cast was counted, fairly and securely.

In addition to her management of our county voting system, she modernized critical systems, helped craft the county’s first culture guide, and worked directly with every community in the county — building trusted relationships that gave her a clear, ground-level understanding of our local needs.

And now Lisa is ready to serve Wasco County as its next County Commissioner with insight, fairness, and a steady hand.

This election, I hope that you will join me in voting for Lisa Gambee for our Wasco County Commissioner.

Bruce Lumper

The Dalles

Clear choice

I’ve been doing my research so I can be an informed voter in the November election. Recently I attended the candidate forum at the Hood River Valley Adult Center. What particularly stood out to me were the candidates for House District 52. Each answered questions regarding how they would govern and addressed the topics that were presented by the moderator.

I learned that Scott Hege has served as a commissioner in Wasco County for many years and he detailed many of his qualifications and experiences and how they had prepared him for the job of being a state rep. Hank Sanders, however, has no prior experience in elected office. From what I could gather, he doesn’t have a job currently, has never owned a home, and has only lived in the Gorge a short time. Sanders complains frequently that his friends have left Oregon because they can’t find good paying jobs here and the cost of living is too high. But what he fails to acknowledge is that his party has created the Oregon that his friends are fleeing from. Oregon has been under Democrat control for the past 40 years. One party rule is responsible for the problems that Sanders complains about that are driving people and businesses out of state. He’s essentially running against his own party and people like his own mother, who is a state senator from Portland. How will adding one more Democrat to their super majorities in Salem improve anything?

After seeing the two candidates side by side, my choice is made: Scott Hege is the clear choice. If you want to have any hope that things will improve in Oregon, join me in voting for Scott Hege for State Representative.

Jerri Schwartzel

Hood River

Regulation of AI

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race” (Stephen Hawking, theoretical astrophysicist, author, and cosmologist, Dec. 2, 2014, interview with the BBC News).

Today, three artificial intelligence leaders (Musk from xAI, Altman from Open AI, and Amodei from Anthropic AI) are warning us that AI developments are outpacing our ability to control it, and they are asking our government to help them regulate AI, citing concerning incidents. This summer, a company called Hugging Face “detected an attack on its systems.” They learned that these attackers were Agents powered by AI. Agents are systems that work on their own to do things as directed by humans, but in this case, the agents worked independently from real people.

AI agents have the present ability to “go rogue.” For example, AI Anthropic was able to gain “unauthorized access to three other organizations systems” (PBS News, Sept. 2, 2026, “AI agents are hacking into systems without any input from humans. How did we get here?”).

President Trump calls these warnings a conspiracy, and has rejected any government restrictions or laws regarding AI’s development, though he has acknowledged the public’s concerns by having AI tech giants sign a document that “encourages companies to implement robust internal controls” (Politico, Sept. 29, 2026).

The downsides of the rush to use AI are many, including replacing human workers with software, the high energy usage in massive data centers, disinformation, and our own over-reliance on these automated tools which could lead to less critical thinking skills and the abandonment of creativity.

We need to press pause until our government agrees with AI leaders and comes up with laws to regulate the industry. I urge you to contact Rep. Newhouse in Washington and Cliff Bentz or Maxine Dexter in Oregon to demand that they implement oversight that addresses data center’s land, water, and energy usage, and to support the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act until federal regulations are in place.

April George

White Salmon

For Matulovich

My vote goes for …

Dwayne Matulovich

Need I say more?

Leslie Trabant

White Salmon

Vote Sanders

Working in healthcare has taught me that the health of a community is about more than what happens in a clinic or hospital. It’s also about clean water, affordable utilities, a healthy environment, and having leaders who think about the long-term.

Increasingly, we’ve all learned that data centers might adversely impact water and power affordability. Scott Hege has been involved in promoting data centers in the Gorge. In contrast, Hank is asking us to take a step back. He’s calling for a moratorium so we can better understand what continued data center development means for our water, energy, utility bills, land use and our communities’ health overall.

Hank has also shown to me personally his strong concern about the current challenges to health insurance and the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).

We need leaders who are willing to look ahead, ask difficult questions and frame solutions before problems become bigger. I see that in Hank. He listens to people and genuinely seeks to understand what we’re all facing. That’s why I urge you to join me in voting for Hank Sanders for House District 52.

Tina Castanares, MD

Hood River

Need Sanders

Having met Hank Sanders multiple times, I am consistently impressed by his work ethic, enthusiasm, and thoughtful, articulate approach to our community’s needs. As our next Oregon State Representative, Hank is ready to tackle the exact issues slipping away from rural families — affordable living and responding to the increased threat of wildfire.

Hank understands that corporations and massive data centers are taking tax breaks, draining our resources, and leaving local residents with the bill. Furthermore, he is committed to fighting for housing that actually stays affordable by reducing overall costs for homeowners.

Hank rightly recognizes that Oregon should be spending 10-20 times more on fire prevention. Because the state has lagged, home insurance rates are jumping 30-40% every single year, driving local rents and housing costs sky-high.

Hank Sanders understands how to fight for rural Oregon and win! We need his dedicated leadership in Salem. Please join me in voting for Hank Sanders for State Representative.

Kathy Clark

The Dalles

Yes to ICE?

Rep. Jeff Helfrich has turned his back on us and chosen instead to give ICE agents a free pass. He has repeatedly voted NO on legislation intended to protect Oregonians from ICE’s lawlessness and brutality.

Bill HB 4138 barred law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings. SB 1570 required hospitals to protect patients in the hospital from immigration enforcement. SB 1191 authorized people to inform others of their rights, just to speak, since ICE agents claim that merely speaking is “interfering with law enforcement.” Helfrich voted NO on all three. What a betrayal of all of us! Legislators are supposed to act in the best interests of their constituents. Helfrich most certainly does not.

Rep. Helfrich was a police officer before he was a politician. He knows what protecting people, professionalism and accountability looks like: a name, a badge number, a marked car, a plate that traces to an agency, providing honorable leadership for a community. What makes him decide that masked aggression is acceptable? What has brought him to championing a lack of accountability for people creating mayhem on our streets?

ICE agents have terrorized communities across the country. They are responsible for violence and for deadly shootings. They hide their faces, wear no personal identification, and drive vehicles with no plates or false ones. They’ve become the hallmark of the lawlessness, brutality, and unaccountability of Trump’s administration. But Helfrich votes against basic guardrails to protect us. Why?

Rep. Helfrich is seeking re-election, this time to State Senate. Your vote is important and powerful. Use it to elect someone who will work to protect YOU, your family and our community.

Laurie Macdonald

Hood River

End the chaos

As I write this, we are just four weeks away from the mid-term election. For nearly two years, the GOP has controlled the presidency, both bodies of Congress, and has had a conservative-friendly majority on the Supreme Court. And what have they managed to accomplish in that time so far?

We have been mired since February in a war of choice with Iran. Dozens of U.S. servicemen and women are dead, with hundreds wounded. Tens of thousands of Iranian civilians, including children, have been killed or injured. Fuel prices and fertilizer costs have skyrocketed, both here and abroad. This war has enriched fossil fuel corporations, and our president personally profits, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars so far. And with no coherent strategy, still it drags on. Here in the U.S., our president has been laser focused on enriching himself and his family, his vanity projects, and ruminating on his numerous perceived grievances. His illegal tariffs are driving up costs, a shadow tax that has us paying up to $2,500 per household this year. He repeatedly insults our allies, and praises brutal authoritarian dictators. He gives presidential pardons for favors. And militarily, he has violated international law with impunity.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg ... the national debt is now a whopping $40 trillion (more than 25% this accumulated under Trump) and growing. Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP benefits have been slashed, and nearly 30 million Americans cannot afford health insurance. ICE continues to terrorize our streets, and throw people by the tens of thousands into for-profit “detention centers” with horrific living conditions.

Meanwhile, the Trump family’s financial corruption and self-dealing are well into the multi-billions of dollars, and continue unchecked.

It’s clear: GOP members of Congress have completely abdicated their constitutional duty to check this executive branch’s unprecedented levels of corruption, overreach, and incompetence. It’s past time for a tidal wave of change. Good people, please join me and vote! Let’s put an end to the Trump/GOP chaos, cruelty, and corruption.

James Brauer

Hood River

For Bassett

I am happy to endorse Nicole Bassett to be our next state senator. I have had the pleasure of knowing Nicole for years and know she is an effective communicator, has the business background to identify and support the smart solutions we need, and, like so many of us, cares deeply about the Gorge. As a long-term Hood River City Councilor, I know the importance of building and maintaining good partnerships within the state government. Nicole is right for the Gorge and right for the State. She listens to people’s concerns and collaborates on strategic solutions critical for our smaller communities. In addition to voting for Nicole, please reach out to your contacts in other Senate District 26 cities who may not know her and encourage their support and vote.

Mark Zanmiller

Hood River

Respects Hege

Scott Hege is a leader I respect. I am Joe Dabulskis, Sherman County Judge, a position I have held for the past eight years. In my position, I work with County Commissioner Scott Hege on several issues on multiple boards, from NORCOR, our regional jail, to MCEDD our economic development district. Throughout the years that I have worked with Scott Hege, he has always listened, has been respectful and contributes to any discussion in clear thoughtful meaningful way. He has the experience needed to make good decisions. He has the respect of his peers.

To be clear, I am not from HD 52, but as a neighbor of HD52, I want our neighbors to have the best representation in Salem possible.  Oregon needs Scott Hege. Scott Hege is the choice for the best leadership.

Joe Dabulskis

Wasco

Mailer impacts

Incendiary mailers are arriving in Washington State mailboxes, accusing candidates of being unfit for office. Did you notice who paid for the mailer opposing Ben Christly (LD 17, Position 1) and Diana Perez (LD 17, Position 2)?

Look at the fine print at the bottom. It names Jason Carroll, a New York resident and co-founder and managing director of Hudson River Trading. Bloomberg has estimated his wealth at approximately $24 billion. Another name is Marc Merrill, a Los Angeles resident and co-founder of Riot Games, whose wealth Celebrity Net Worth estimates at approximately $200 million.

These wealthy out-of-state donors don’t know our candidates, our state, or our county. We don’t know what agenda they’re pursuing, but they shouldn’t be allowed to define our local elections through deceptive mailers.

Throw these mailers in the recycling bin. Talk to the candidates, learn where they stand, and make up your own mind. Don’t let the oligarchs decide for us.

Sandra Holden Montag

White Salmon

Keep Gunkel

This is in support of Dan Gunkel’s bid for reelection to the board of the Klickitat PUD. I served on the PUD board with Dan for 30 years and during that time also became friends, so it would be reasonable to assume that is why I am supporting Dan, but that is not so. I am supporting Dan because I believe it is in yours, mine and the PUDs best interest to do so. In my opinion, which in this case is an informed one, Dan’s experience and leadership is critical to the utility’s ability to address the many challenges and also opportunities that the board will be faced with in the future, whether it be data centers, energy supply and cost, or the many other challenging issues that come before the board. This November I will be voting for Dan, I encourage you also to vote for Dan Gunkel PUD commissioner.

Randy Knowles

Bingen

National debt

To all Americans,

Are you aware that our national debt is now $40 trillion ($40,000,000,000,000)? How could that have happened?

George W. Bush actually inherited a budget surplus from President Bill Clinton, who raised taxes. This surplus was for Clinton’s time in office. But Bush wasted that by reducing taxes on wealthy Americans. Trump then doubled down on that by slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. And the rich don’t pay into the Social Security fund past about $180,000.

Now, Republicans insist that we must cut critical aid that we rely on rather than undo the tax cuts that they are responsible for this fiscal nightmare. Solution to this mess? Don’t vote for Republicans.

Much of this information comes from “The Week” magazine, Sept. 4, 2026.

Ann Beug

Husum

Gambee skilled

I have known Lisa and her family for decades, basically. She is a loyal friend, but I have also seen her in action when I helped during elections. Lisa in action allows you to see how intelligent, thoughtful, and hardworking she is. She has the ability to listen, solve problems, and respond to the needs of the people she is working with. I have no doubt she will apply those incredible skills to the work she will do as a county commissioner.

Kathy Kelsay

Maupin

Sorry

Sorry, America, we can’t defend America’s men, women and children. We ran out of gas and food! Thank you, Trump!

Steve Cochenour

The Dalles

 Editor’s note: Letters to the editor are published as space allows. Though deadline is noon on Thursday, receipt does not guarantee a run date. Increased printing costs prohibit the addition of extra pages. Any unpublished letters will be held for the following edition and placed first.