Two weeks ago, University senior Simone Gordon filed the paperwork to run for District 8’s state representative seat. If she wins, she would be the youngest legislator in Oregon.
So far, Gordon is the lone challenger of Democratic incumbent Paul Holvey.
Gordon, 23, got her start in politics last year working on the campaign against Measures 66 and 67, an effort organized by the Lane County Republicans.
Gordon said her affiliation with the Republican Party isn’t without a sense of irony. Her family has a long history of political involvement in the Democratic Party.
“I grew up in a family that was very political, deeply entrenched in the Democratic Party,” she said.
Gordon’s reasons for running stem primarily from her desire to see fiscal discipline in the state budget. These concerns are what initially spurred her participation in the campaign against Measures 66 and 67.
“Everyone said (Propositions 66 and 67) are going to fund vital services, but I did a little bit of research into this and said, ‘Whoa, this isn’t right,’” Gordon said. “We’ve got more than enough money in the state budget to fund education, roads, firefighters, cops and all these things that we need, but it’s being misdirected. We didn’t have proper allocation. That’s when I knew I need to become involved.”
Her work with the Lane County Republicans provided her with the opportunity to network with Oregon Republicans, and her experience contributed to her decision to run for office.
“I think part of the reason they wanted me to run is because I’m what you would call a liberal Republican; I’m fiscally conservative but socially liberal, and frankly, that’s the only kind of Republican that stands a chance in the Berkeley of Oregon,” Gordon said.
Don Hamilton, director of communications at the state elections office, said Gordon is the only Republican filed to run in the primary before the March 9 deadline. He added that if elected, Gordon would be the youngest person in the state legislature.
If Gordon remains unopposed in the Republican primary, she would win by default, but Hamilton said winning the general election will be a bit trickier because of the district’s political leanings.
Gordon will be running as a Republican in a district with an historically strong Democratic electorate. Of about 38,600 registered voters in District 8, about 21,500 are Democrats, compared to about 7,500 Republicans.
But Gordon is confident that she can garner support with independent and non-affiliated voters, who make up about 1,100 and 7,000 of registered voters, respectively.
Gordon said on Twitter that the election will be an “uphill battle.”
To Gordon, the issues facing the state are reason enough to run for office. She believes that fiscal discipline would solve many of these issues.
“We are in a crisis in the state of Oregon right now. We are in the top five in the nation for unemployment, and this is not only unacceptable, but it’s wholly unnecessary because Oregon has a wealth of resources, be it in terms of brain power or natural resources,” Gordon said. “We currently have the second-highest income tax in the nation second only to Hawaii, and what are we getting with these high taxes? Education is still underfunded, our roads still feel like you’re driving over a non-stop pothole and we’re letting dangerous criminals out of jail on a daily basis. We need to get our priorities in order.”
Gordon cites unemployment, tax code and environmental protections as her top priorities.
“We need to get spending under control. It’s gonna be our generation that has to make that happen,” she said.
District 8 includes South Eugene, Veneta and Lorraine. It is currently represented by Holvey, who has filled the seat since his appointment in January 2004. She is set to graduate from the University in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
Gordon considers her candidacy a rare platform to speak earnestly about the role of public servants.
“Government so often is a lackey for special interests, be it big business or unions or corporations,” she said. “Your special interests are the voters who put you in office.”
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