Кандидат от Партии зелёных бросает вызов действующему представителю в округе 57 штата Орегон

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... MAUPIN — Pacific Green Party candidate Josiah Dean is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Gregg Smith for the Oregon House District 57 seat in the November election. Dean has invited the public to his campaign launch party on Friday, Sept. 11, 5-7 p.m. at MaupinWorks at 410 Deschutes Ave., Maupin. Dean is a resident of Dufur and from 2015 to 2024 was a Dufur city councilor. He is the former co-owner of The Balch Hotel, and previous small business owner. He works as a business advisor at the Small Business Development Center at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles. Smith has been in office 13 terms, making him the current longest-serving member of the state House. He is the former executive director of the Columbia Development Authority, and the Oregon Government Ethics Commission in August found Smith abused that position for personal gain, giving himself a salary increase and paid vacation time. Smith agreed to pay a $12,000 penalty for the misdeeds. While Smith has been the subject of other ethics investigations, this was his first fine. He also remains a defendant in the Oregon Department of Justice’s lawsuit on the sale of Windwave Communications, a nonprofit broadband company. The lawsuit alleges Morrow County officials conspired to sell the company to themselves for a portion of its actual value before the data center boom in the region. Dean in his recent announcement about his campaign said Smith has been in office long enough and House District 57 needs a new state representative. “District 57 deserves leadership rooted in public trust, honest dealing, and a commitment to protecting our local resources,” according to Dean. “I’m running to bring accountable representation to Salem, one that prioritizes our families, farms, and small businesses over special interests.”