Incumbents favored in downtown Rep. races
House District 33
Democrat Mitch Greenlick is seeking his third term in Oregon’s House District 33, which encompasses almost all of Northwest Portland. Greenlick was first elected in 2002 and won the Democratic primary in May with 92 percent of the vote. A former professor at Oregon Health and Science University and adjunct professor at Portland State, Greenlick has been endorsed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and former Govs. John Kitzhaber and Barbara Roberts.
According to his campaign website, Greenlick intends to center his re-election bid on health care, education and “Oregon’s wacky revenue system.” Greenlick has been especially active in the area of health care, sponsoring or co-sponsoring numerous health-related bills that passed into law, including the Oregon Patient Safety Bill and a bill that reduced the cost of prescription medication.
”I’m focusing on getting health care for all Oregonians,” he said. “I will also work for more support for higher ed.”
Greenlick received his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Republican Mark Eggleston is running against Greenlick, but little information on the candidate is available and his campaign website is down. His name is not featured in the military voters’ guide and it is uncertain whether his name will appear on the November ballot.
David E. Long, a Libertarian who ran for the position in 2004, is also looking to unseat Greenlick. According to his statement in the Oregon military voters’ guide, Long is a database consultant and advocate for reduced government. He favors fully funding essential services such as police and fire and puts education funding as a top priority.
In addition, Long favors a state spending cap and term limits for elected officials. Long attained his bachelor’s degree at St. John’s University and his master’s degree at the University of Chicago, and was the Libertarian Party’s chair from 1974 to 1977.
House District 36
In House District 36, which extends from all of downtown Portland south of Burnside to the Multnomah Village area, Democrat incumbent Mary Nolan hopes to hold off Libertarian opponent Frank Dane for a fourth term.
Nolan has been a staunch pro-choice supporter and environmentalist. Specifically, Nolan urges voters to oppose Ballot Measure 43, which would require minors to notify their parents before receiving an abortion.
”It’s important that we defeat Ballot Measure 43 because it is a deceptive measure that would put young women at dangerous risk and would do nothing to help them in times of urgent need,” she said.
In addition, Nolan sponsored a bill to create civil unions and sponsored a law to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Frank Dane is an attorney and certified public accountant and the vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Oregon. Dane favors reduced government spending, saying in the military voters’ guide, “we need to change our budgeting and spending habits.”
Dane’s other main focus is crime, according to the voters’ guide. He believes that victimless crimes should not be prosecuted and sentences for crimes such as sex offenses should be served in full. Dane also played a large part in the effort to stop Portland from buying Portland General Electric for $3 billion without first getting voter approval. Dane holds degrees from Southern Connecticut State University, the University of New Haven and the University of Santa Clara.
