It’s election time – a Primary Election with several important positions being decided. Here’s the Tillamook County Pioneer”s “Questions for the Candidates.” This provides our communities with our expanded election coverage and an introduction to the candidates with an unbiased view to compare the candidates side-by-side on important issues. All candidates were provided with the same questions; the questions were provided by a wide variety of Tillamook County residents. If you have other “questions for the candidates” – please forward them to editor@tillamookcountypioneer.net.
Oregon State Senator, 16th District – Democrat Candidates: Jordan Gutierrez, Rachel Armitage, Aaron Dickie – We reached out to all candidates, and only received a response from Rachel Armitage.
Rachel Armitage
1. Why should we vote for you?
I understand what voters in this community are going through. I grew up working class, so I know how isolating it is not having your basic needs met. I sometimes went hungry at school and my family lost our home during the great recession. I’ve had to check my bank account before buying groceries, and like too many of us have had to budget for prescriptions. I’ve had to walk through state systems that don’t work well and wonder what it is we’re actually paying for. The big thing is that I understand what it’s like to struggle and feel alone, which is how a lot of people in this district feel—like they’re on their own with no one looking out for them. Regardless of where folks stand on the political spectrum, I hope they know that I have been in their shoes and that I care. When I served in 2022, nobody expected a freshman appointee like me to take the job so seriously, but I did. In just six weeks I brought back millions of dollars in infrastructure, passed bills that made sense for the coast, and put a stop to the worst ideas that would have caused our communities a lot of unnecessary pain. I also acknowledge that there’s more to do. My priority is to create a better future for working class Oregonians–especially rural, working class Oregonians on the North Coast. I will strike the right balance between addressing current crises and investing in our future, and I’ll work across the aisle as I always have to get things done for our district.
2. What are the top 5 most important issues facing Tillamook County?
Economic opportunity, housing, health care, transportation and infrastructure, and child care.
3. How would you solve these issues?
These issues feed into each other but at the state level, they share a common thread: our state government needs to work better. There are too many unnecessary roadblocks that might have once been good ideas individually, but taken together create expensive hurdles to economic development and growth. I will make sure the government is responsive and the rules make sense. I will also hold agencies accountable and make sure your taxpayer dollars are spent effectively. Finally, I am collaborative. I think a good idea is a good idea, and I’m willing to work with just about anyone to get a good idea passed into law.
4. Tell us what the best things are about Tillamook County.
A lot of people will tell you about the landscapes, ocean, wildlife, and idyllic landscapes in Tillamook County. That’s all incredible, but I think the best thing about this place is the people. People are so proud of what they contribute, as they should be. This community works hard and is full of makers and producers who make the lives of so many people better. I want to do my part to make life easier for you, so that you can do what you do best.
5. We are experiencing the erosion of morals and trust in our society. What are your guiding morals?
I think every person has value and is worth fighting for. I believe in personal freedom. Most importantly, I believe that win-win scenarios are possible and should be the norm in politics. I don’t think one person’s gain necessarily has to be another person’s loss. We can create a world where everyone comes to the table and contributes to the solution. And finally, I’m driven by loyalty. As your State Senator, I’ll be on team North Coast before anything else.
6. Why should citizens trust you, and how would you rebuild trust in government?
I recognize when trust in government is lacking. So often people express their concerns and aren’t heard. That’s wrong. On my campaign I prioritize listening before taking action. I want you to tell me what you really think. I will also tell you the truth. I am not going to oversimplify the complex and decades-long problems of the Oregon Legislature. I will tell you how we can get where we want to go, and walk with you there.
7. How do you think you can make a difference?
I have done this legislature thing before, so I know how to hit the ground running and be effective. Besides that, I am both optimistic and pragmatic. I have a reputation for being an independent thinker who acts on good ideas and works with everyone, because that’s how we do things here. We aren’t quite so tied to the boxes other people find themselves in. I will focus on solutions that work for the North Coast, but I wouldn’t be surprised if fixes to statewide problems come from our district.
8. Speaking of differences, government and politics are more divided than ever, how will you work across the aisle, with others that have differing views?
I am as independent as they come. I have a record of working across the aisle to get things done. I’m also known for voting against my party if a bill doesn’t work for our district. You will hear me say it a thousand times before November: my loyalty is not to a party or special interest. It is to my community on the North Coast.
9. What are your three favorite books?
-Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: The classics are classics because they remind us of what we share with our fellow human beings across centuries. This story also reminds us that sometimes we have to experience the consequences of our actions to the fullest extent before we decide to try something different—an appropriate metaphor for the moment, I think.
-The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: I first read this book when I was a teenager and never forgot it. A traumatic event follows a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan into adulthood in America. After decades of lingering guilt, he is forced to face his past and finds forgiveness, redemption, and healing. A story of full-circle moments and second chances.
– True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi: Prim and proper Charlotte boards a ship from England to America. She doesn’t know it, but the events of this voyage (which include a mutiny and a murder trial) transform Charlotte into a fierce, independent, and entirely different version of herself.
10. What are your hobbies and interests?
I often say that if you like sports or antiquing, we might have something in common. If you like gardening badly, we might also have something in common! These days, I’m never happier than when I’m out on the water or hanging out around a fire with loved ones. I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed. As a politician I care about solving problems so that we can get back to the good stuff.
11. Tell us about a significant time in your life and how it impacted your life.
I graduated high school in 2009, right in the middle of the Great Recession. I remember hearing from friends about parents losing their jobs, and praying weekly for a woman who couldn’t seem to find a job no matter how hard she tried. I started college and then had to take a year off for financial reasons. That year, I got a job on my first political campaign. I was tasked with knocking doors for a local state house candidate and organizing phone banks for volunteers. I met so many people that year and gained a whole new perspective about the place I’d grown up. That was also the start of a career that led me here. I have found that life’s plot twists have a funny way of showing us where we are meant to be.
12. Please write a haiku about Spring. (Haiku originated in Japan in the sixteenth century, but now is popular all over the world. Haiku poems are short, and traditionally total 17 syllables in length. They are written in three lines with a “five syllable, seven syllable, five syllable” form.)
Sun’s out; I’m thinking
Best corner of Oregon?
Right here where I live