Elevate Thatcher to state Senate
Kim Thatcher has grown into the job of state legislator. It is appropriate that she take her experience to the state Senate, having represented the Keizer area in House District 25 since 2005.
The Keizer Republican has been an effective advocate for increasing transparency in state government, drawing Democratic legislators to her mission.
Her emphasis on streamlining government regulations, so they are less complicated and burdensome, also is welcome. That should be a goal of every legislative session.
Thatcher is seeking to replace fellow Republican Larry George, who is retiring from the Senate District 13 seat. Thatcher also has the endorsement of the Libertarian and Independent parties.
Her opponent, Democrat Ryan Howard, of Newberg is intriguing because he would bring a fresh perspective. At age 29, he would be one of the youngest members of the Legislature. A number of legislators in their 30s and 40s have left office in recent years because of the difficulty of balancing family life, having a job and being a legislator, which itself is practically a full-time job but with part-time pay.
Howard, who also is endorsed by the Working Families Party, is president of the Newberg City Council and a lawyer in private practice. He serves on the Yamhill County Bar Association Board, Oregon Safe Routes to School Steering Committee and Newberg Cultural District Executive Board.
Senate District 13 runs north from Keizer almost to Hillsboro. It includes much of the Keizer, Newberg, Sherwood, King City and Wilsonville areas. As Thatcher describes the district: "Generally, it is politically and socially conservative to moderate. The beautiful, fertile farmland and small, livable cities combined with decent proximity to transportation arterials and markets make this a desirable area to live and work."
Kim Thatcher would represent that district well in the Oregon Senate.