January 16, 2018 — Brian P. Halvorsen of Rockaway Beach officially announced his candidacy for Oregon House District 32 in the Independent Party primary this week. Halvorsen filed for office in September of last year and has been meeting with voters and community groups to hear their concerns ever since.
A newcomer to the political process, Halvorsen moved to Tillamook County full-time in January 2016 and shortly thereafter founded a community group called North Coast Progressives. Their mission is to provide resources to activists, candidates and voters to further progressive campaigns and causes in our communities.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to make my case to the voters of the 32nd District,” Halvorsen said. “I will refuse to take campaign donations from corporations or Super PACs, instead I’ll rely on small dollar donations from the people. For far too long the Democratic and Republican parties have sold us out to the highest campaign donor. It’s time to change that: You will be my boss, not big business.”
Halvorsen’s campaign will focus on issues that matter to working-class voters, like fixing income inequality by taxing large corporations, who pay the lowest effective business tax in the nation. The campaign will fight for tax breaks for small businesses and working Oregonians 1 which will spur economic growth, not exempting the wealthy from paying their fair share. A specific issue that Halvorsen highlighted is a need to end the state’s pass-through tax shift created in 2013 that benefits wealthy Oregonians by allowing them to pay personal tax rates on corporate taxes. The state has lost over $300 million since its institution.(2)
Halvorsen said, “By no means would I support a sales tax, which would hurt the poorest Oregonians hardest. It’s an issue that both major parties refuse to let die. I’ll defend the will of the voters, which has been heard loud and clear in opposition to a sales tax.”
“I may be a political newcomer, but I believe that is what we need at this moment”, Halvorsen added. “Both parties rule for their donors and not the voters. This is District 32’s chance to shake-up the system and send a message to Salem that the status-quo is not working for us.”
Other issues Halvorsen’s campaign will focus on is enacting effective campaign finance reform statewide, promoting environmental responsibility to combat climate change, making the fishing and timber industries sustainable and safer careers and enacting a more effective emergency management program.
Those interested in finding out more about Halvorsen’s campaign can visit brianfororegonhouse.com or can email the campaign directly at brianphalvorsen@gmail.com.
On February 17, the campaign will have a kick-off event in the Copeland Room of the Tillamook County Library from 1 to 3 pm. Voters are encouraged to stop by and meet Halvorsen and learn about the campaign. He’ll be hosting campaign events in Clatsop and Washington counties in March. Halvorsen capped his announcement by saying, “I look forward to hearing from the voters. Even if we don’t agree on every issue, I’ll always make myself available to hear you out. If elected I’ll be the most accessible legislator in Oregon.”
1 Oregon Center for Public Policy, December 8, 2015. https://www.ocpp.org/2015/12/08/oregon-lowest-business-taxes/
2 Daniel Hauser (January 2018) “Will the Oregon Senate stick with the GOP playbook on pass-through income?”, Oregon Center for Public Policy: https://www.ocpp.org/2018/01/05/pass-through-income-tax-break-oregon/