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650 N. First Street
PO Box 96 Woodburn, OR 97071 Phone:
503.981.3441 |
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| Top Democrat congressional candidates speak in Woodburn |
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| Steve Marks and Ken Schrader spoke at Senior Estates Grill Saturday |
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 | | Photo By John Gervais | | Democratic candidates Steve Marks (left) and Kurt Schrader (right) share a light moment after addressing voters at Senior Estates Grill Saturday morning. They are vying for Darlene Hooley's 5th Congressional District seat. Hooley is retiring this year. |
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By John Gervais
Due to his lack of elective office, 5th Congressional District candidate Steve Marks might be considered an underdog to state Senator Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) as they both campaign for the Democratic nomination for the district, which includes Marion County.
While Schrader began serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, Marks began a high-level career with former senate president and Governor John Kitzhaber, eventually becoming his chief of staff.
Marks, 47, spoke of his years working on education, public safety and health care policies in his 16 years working with Kitzhaber.
"I worked developing public policy and working with people to pull them together, on tough issues," said Marks.
He also discussed getting out of the war in Iraq in a safe and reasonable time, returning the balance of power to the congress and the people and repealing the federal No Child Left Behind policy.
Mark said he would support repealing the Bush tax cuts and provide federal payments to Oregon counties that have lost revenue due to reduction in timber harvest.
Schrader, 56, a small businessman and veterinarian, is currently co-chair of the Oregon Senate ways and means committee and was at the front of the budget re-balancing during the 2002 special sessions.
His wife, Martha, is a Clackamas County Commissioner, and she also considered running for Hooley's seat in Congress.
Describing himself as a populist citizen, Schrader and his wife have raised four children and live on a historic farm just west of Canby.
"I have won five straight elections and I would be able to hit the ground running in Congress," he said.
It was a friendly exchange between the two candidates and the audience. With little name familiarity for either candidate, it may come down to fundraising and hard work. According to filing, the two candidates have raised over $25,000 each. In addition, Schrader has loaned his campaign an additional $30,000 for the May 20 Oregon primary election.
In the end, it may be youth and shoe leather against money and legislative clout, because neither offers much different than the other on the issues.
Ballots in Oregon's vote-by-mail election will be mailed on May 2 and must be returned by May 20.
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