The state’s primary election is coming up May 21 and a lack of suspense exists in this go-round when it comes to Philomath’s representation in the State Legislature with no contested races for a party nomination.
Republican Dick Anderson and Democrat Jo Beaudreau will square off in the Nov. 5 general election for the Senate’s 5th District seat.
Meanwhile, Democrat David Gomberg will return as the state representative for the 10th House District with no challengers in this year’s primary or general election.
Still, there are a lot of issues circulating in the aftermath of last year’s regular session and this year’s short session. So, the Philomath News took the opportunity to ask Anderson, Beaudreau and Gomberg five questions to better familiarize them with citizens.
Each answer was limited to 100 words and edited only for grammar and newspaper style.
STATE SENATE, DISTRICT 5
DICK ANDERSON
Party: Republican
City of Residence: Lincoln City
1. What in your background makes you the best candidate to represent the 5th District?
“As the current state senator for the district, I really hope my voting record and my history of the last four years in office will help voters in understanding that I am a pragmatic senator who is focused on results and delivering for the district. My ability to author and pass legislation in a Democrat majority shows I have relationships across the aisle while maintaining my core Republican principles of local control and no new taxes or increases.”
2. What is your most pressing issue for the 2025 session? Please expand on what you would propose or how you would support the issue?
“Housing will remain at the top of the issues for me. As vice chair of the Senate Housing Committee, I will continue to push for housing policies focused on building homes for our workers. Housing options should not just be apartments, but also single-family homes so all people can work to achieve the power of home ownership in Oregon.”
3. How would you identify the most important steps toward building a stronger economy in rural Oregon?
“This is a cornerstone of my policy work in the next session. The four things we need in rural Oregon are housing and infrastructure, good schools and education system, child-care
Options and finally, health care — physical, mental and oral. If our communities are stronger in each of these areas, they will find companies moving here and thriving here. People want to live
in rural Oregon. We need to give our communities the tools to build a stronger local economy for
the future.”
4. In this last session, a Senate bill that didn’t get through both chambers would have prohibited schools from removing library books simply because of references or authors of protected classes (people of color, LGBTQ, religious minorities, etc.). What’s your perspective on this issue?
“I could not find anything in this bill that changed anything in our schools or libraries that exist today. There is a process in place already for reviewing books. All this bill would have done is remove some more local control potentially in that process. It was a “political bill” and I find these sorts of tactics as nonproductive as it only seeks to divide Oregonians. If it was a good bill, the majority party would have pushed it through and they did not. If it’s back in 2025, I hope they better refine the bill’s purpose, clarity and intent.”
5. A bipartisan decision on Measure 110 was reached during this year’s short session. What are your thoughts on this issue and do you have any specific changes that you would like to see?
“Yes, the Measure 110 decision to recriminalize hard drugs was a good one and I was happy to vote in favor of it. Good legislators from both sides of the aisle helped craft the bill that basically ended Measure 110. Now, we are going to have to deal with the drug issue from a supply side on the macro level and then really dig into the mental health side of drug abuse. Smaller communities have less resources and we must focus on getting dollars and resources to the county and community level to help real people with real problems.”
JO BEAUDREAU
Party: Democrat
City of Residence: Florence
1. What in your background makes you the best candidate to represent the 5th District?
“It’s crucial for legislators to listen, learn and actively engage with the people they serve. Growing up in rural communities, I understand their diverse needs and aspirations. Having witnessed firsthand the struggles of working families, small businesses and marginalized groups, I’m driven to advocate for all of us. I am committed to implementing innovative solutions and amplifying residents to ensure equitable representation and progress. My experience as a small business owner, my career path, educational background and being an active community member equips me to fight for every corner of the 5th District effectively.”
2. What is your most pressing issue for the 2025 session? Please expand on what you would propose or how you would support the issue?
“I believe the oversight of taxpayer dollars is crucial for responsible legislation. Economic development opportunities and solutions provide pathways for affordable housing and reducing homelessness. As your state senator, I would bring a balanced approach to these issues that involves our communities every step of the way. By investing in tailored development programs for emerging industries like renewable energy and technology, we can create good-paying jobs and prepare for our future economy. This includes incentivizing partnerships for infrastructure projects, such as transportation and utilities expansion, to unlock economic potential statewide. Prioritizing these initiatives promotes opportunity and prosperity for all Oregon residents.”
3. How would you identify the most important steps toward building a stronger economy in rural Oregon?
“I believe that our best days aren’t behind us. As a city councilor in a rural town, I understand the complexities of our economy and the struggles faced by our communities. Families and seniors struggle with life-saving expenses like food, child care and prescriptions. By investing in tailored development programs, like career-technical education, and renewable energy, we can prepare for the future. Building a stronger economy means that basic needs like safe housing and accessible health care, that are essential for our economy’s foundation, are available to all. As your state senator, I’ll fight for these priorities relentlessly.”
4. In this last session, a Senate bill that didn’t get through both chambers would have prohibited schools from removing library books simply because of references or authors of protected classes (people of color, LGBTQ, religious minorities, etc.). What’s your perspective on this issue?
“Schools are the foundations for our future. Education brings people out of poverty, reduces crime, expands experiences and drives innovation. Limiting our horizons, intentionally, stifles productivity, and being human. Investing in each other, learning and understanding different life perspectives is vital to citizenship and being a member of society. Banning speech is a slippery slope to losing other vital freedoms and we should always be wary of giving away our freedoms as Americans.”
5. A bipartisan decision on Measure 110 was reached during this year’s short session. What are your thoughts on this issue and do you have any specific changes that you would like to see?
“With the support of law enforcement, the Legislature passed bipartisan Measure 110 reform during the 2024 legislative session, bringing back penalties for possession and public use of controlled substances, and investing in drug treatment. Like many in our community, I am hopeful this will reduce drug use, save lives and help people get off the streets and on to a better life. We must ensure that the coast and our rural areas are getting its fair share of public dollars and that the particular challenges of drugs and homelessness in rural communities like ours are addressed.”
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 10
DAVID GOMBERG
Party: Democrat
City of Residence: Otis
1. Why do you believe you’re the best candidate to continue representing the 10th District?
“I’ve worked hard to show up and listen. And I have worked hard to be an effective voice and advocate for our part of Oregon. One of the challenges of representing rural Oregon is that you have fewer votes to produce results than our urban centers. I have been willing and able to reach across the partisan divide to build coalitions to get things done. Using my seniority, knowledge of the process and occasionally outright legislative guile, I have been able to achieve those results. And that means over $100 million of new state investments in and across our district.”
2. What is your most pressing issue for the 2025 session? Please expand on what you would propose or how you would support the issue?
“I expect the focus for next session will be updating how we pay for transportation, roads and bridges. But I always also work on issues of local concern. In 2022, I led efforts to invest $100 million in rural infrastructure. In 2023, I was tasked with creating a $100 million bipartisan rural economic development package. In 2024, I led efforts to secure $100 million for water and sewer to support rural housing. And in 2025, I plan to focus similar efforts on resilience and emergency response to strengthen our ability to respond to wildfires, freezes, droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis.”
3. How would you identify the most important steps toward building a stronger economy in rural Oregon?
“When not in session, I travel our sprawling district every day, meeting people, learning about local concerns, and identifying opportunities. I bring my small business experience to Salem. And during session, I work with other rural legislators, regardless of party. Different parts of Oregon have different economic priorities. That might include a combination of agriculture, fishing, forestry, tourism or manufacturing. The package I authored in 2023 included support for small business, ranchers, outdoor recreation, seafood and investments in projects like our coastal ports, water capacity in small cities like Monroe and local improvements like new rodeo stands in Philomath.”
4. In this last session, a Senate bill that didn’t get through both chambers would have prohibited schools from removing library books simply because of references or authors of protected classes (people of color, LGBTQ, religious minorities, etc.). What’s your perspective on this issue?
“I would have supported the bill. I believe the measure would have protected the rights of parents to decide what their children read. And similarly, I oppose removing books from our libraries based on who wrote them rather than on their content — although I’m generally opposed to content censorship as well. Senate Bill 1583 would have prohibited book bans on the basis of race, gender identity, country of origin, sexual orientation, disability and immigrant status. The bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote but was not heard in the House.”
5. A bipartisan decision on Measure 110 was reached during this year’s short session. What are your thoughts on this issue and do you have any specific changes that you would like to see?
“The Legislature should always be cautious about overturning measures initiated and passed by Oregon voters. In passing Measure 110, voters said they wanted to move away from punishment for drug addiction and toward treatment. But four years later it was clear that 110 was not working as hoped. Changes crafted and overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature maintained a focus on treatment, ensured that treatment options were available, but also provided consequences if someone didn’t seek or accept treatment. It was a compromise correction I could support. I’m prepared to test this new approach before considering making further changes.”
