Independent runs for
governor
Oregon Sen. Ben Westlund
listens to students and sheds light on the gubernatorial campaign
By Katrina R. Machorro
April 20, 2006
A tall man, dressed in slacks and a plaid button-up shirt, jokingly announces
“my first act as governor is to install a GPS system in the gubernatorial limo
because I get lost.”
Oregon Sen. Ben Westlund spoke in the Women’s Center, Wednesday April 12, to a
group of students on the issue of higher education, tax reform and his current
campaign to be governor of Oregon.
Westlund, who is running as an Independent, held an interview before the forum
and participated in an open discussion, openly speaking about his recent
decision to leave the Republican Party behind.
In order to qualify and get his name on the ballot as an Independent this
November, Westlund must gather 18,364 signatures by the end of August 2006.
Westlund, who calls himself a “recovering Republican,” has been in the
legislature for the past 10 years.
He currently serves Senate District 27 in the Oregon State Senate. District 27
includes Bend, Sisters, Redmond, and the surrounding portions of Deschutes
County.
On his decision to leave the Republican party, Westlund said he could “no longer
tolerate the judgmental discriminatory attitudes of many in the Republican Party
— especially around gay rights issues.”
On his campaign Web site, he adds that “extreme paralyzing partisanship is
keeping us from addressing, much less solving, the problems facing Oregon.”
“What it really comes down to is an issue of being able to solve real problems
for real Oregonians. Getting things done right because right now we are in total
partisan gridlock. This whole discussion between the two parties has become all
about who’s right as opposed to what is right for Oregon,” Westlund said.
Westlund added that “something has to be done and the two major parties are
incapable of getting it done — that is why the Independent, or non-affiliated
voter, is the fastest growing segment of the Oregon electorate.”
Kade Laden, OSU freshman in business administration, said that he believed that
Westlund’s change of his party affiliation was a bold political move.
“Westlund changed his affiliation due to ideological differences with the party,
especially those involving the church on social issues.”
Living in Tumao, Ore., on the outskirts of Bend, with his wife and two children,
Westlund never imagined he would be involved in politics.
“The speaker of the house — House of Representatives — got a hold of me and said
‘Benny, you would be great in politics,’ and I just thought he was nuts, but he
kept after me,” Westlund said.
Bev Clarno, the previous state representative of District 27 was about to retire
and asked Westlund “if I was pro-life or pro-choice, and I said, ‘well I’m
pro-choice.’ Bev just said ‘that’s nice, you’ll be fine, you’ll do,’ and now I’m
here,” Westlund recalled.
After graduating from Whitman College with a bachelor of arts in education and
history, and finishing his graduate studies at the University of Oregon,
Westlund founded a company with high school friends that made non-toxic
substances from the crushed fossils of marine life. The material is used in
farming and the care of animals. When that business sold he bought a ranch and
went into cattle breeding. Westlund even considered a career in nursing before
he ran for the legislature.
Besides being an Oregon senator, according to his campaign Web site, Westlund
serves as chair for Central Oregon Special Olympics, a board member for Trillium
Family Services and is on the OSU-Cascades Advisory Board.
He is also involved in 4-H, Future Farmers of America and Caring for Our Troops
on the Oregon Health Policy Commission. In addition, he serves on the Executive
Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators.
Westlund has experience working with students as well. He worked with Central
Oregon Community College students on Senate Bill 394, which is a proposal to
give a $2,000 tax break to community college and university students who are
working during school.
ASOSU extended an invitation to Westlund to speak to OSU students at the forum
held last Wednesday.
Westlund explained what he wanted to get out of the forum.
“I want two things, both equally important, I want people to gain a better
understanding of who Ben Westlund is, what this candidacy is all about. The most
important function in terms of what I’m doing — I call it listening, looking and
learning,”
During the forum, Westlund stressed the need for tax reform.
“We are broke, we are in dire, desperate straits,” Sen. Westlund said. “We need
more money in the system and only one (Westlund) has a specific plan.”
“I’m not here to tell you that money solves all of Oregon’s ills but it solves
the major ills — we need to ration and prioritize,” Westlund said. “If you don’t
put enough gas in the tank, don’t blame the car for not taking you where you
want to go.”
Jen Gilbreath, senior in political science and federal affairs task force
director for ASOSU, pressed Westlund on what he would do about the rise in
textbook costs.
“If I was elected yesterday I would be working 12 hours today on our tax
structure — Your costs have to be lowered. Your fees, (and) tuition has to be
lowered,” Westlund answered.
Westlund then announced that he wants to find an OSU coordinator to help with
his campaign. He even placed a call to a student he was told might be
interested.
Natalie MacColman, freshman in animal sciences with a pre-vet option and
international degree, said she enjoyed the forum.
“Westlund did as good as a job as he was able to do in his position answering
the questions he had,” she said. “A candidate should never go making any
promises he can not keep, and I feel that though he cares very much about the
schools."
