Doyle Canning, Lisa Fragala vie in Democratic primary for Oregon Representative District 8

This is part of a series of stories on the candidates running in the May 21 primary election, with question-and-answer articles scheduled to be published each day through the rest of April. Ballots must be mailed to voters by May 1.

Election Day is May 21. There are several races on the ballot, including the Democratic primary for Oregon Representative District 8, which spreads from South Eugene down toward Cottage Grove, west of Interstate 5.

Following the announced retirement of current Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, two candidates have stepped up to replace him: community organizer and consultant Doyle Canning, and Pacific University administrator and Lane Community College Board of Education member Lisa Fragala.

Canning was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in northern New England. She moved to Eugene in 2015 with her two children and husband, a University of Oregon alum. Canning has worn many hats throughout her career, studying education as an undergrad, then attending law school and becoming an attorney. She has worked as a community organizer, founding the Center the Story-Based Strategy, which trains community organizers in storytelling and communication. Now, Canning owns a consulting agency, working with labor unions and environmental organizations. She has also been the legislative director for Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland, since 2022, now with one long legislative session and one short session "under her belt." Canning has been involved in several local groups including the Lane County Sierra Club and the Democratic Party of Oregon's Environmental Caucus.

Canning has run for public office twice before, losing in the Democratic primaries for U.S. Representative District 4 in 2020 and 2022.

Fragala, 57, grew up on the East Coast and in the Midwest, moving to Lane County in the early '90s. She originally took a job in Mapleton for the U.S. Forest Service on the Endangered Species Act, following her degree in environmental sciences. After jobs became more scarce in forest services, Fragala looked to education, taking on roles in rural Lane County school districts before moving to Eugene School District 4J, where she taught at Edison Elementary and Adams Elementary. Now, Fragala works at Pacific University in the College of Education's teacher preparation program, where she works with local schools and districts to prepare the next generation of educators. She has also served on several community action groups including the city of Eugene Planning Commission and the Friendly Area Neighborhood Equity Action Team.

Fragala is also on the Lane Community College Board of Education, in an unpaid role, where she has been since 2018 after being appointed to the vacant at-large position 7. She was then elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023. Her current term ends in 2027.

For the District 8 Representative race, no Republican candidate filed, meaning whoever is elected in the Democratic primaries could run uncontested in the November ballot.

The primary election is on Tuesday, May 21. To vote in the Democratic primaries for District 7, residents must be registered as Democrats.

To register to vote, check your registration status or track your ballot, visit sos.oregon.gov/voting-elections/Pages/default.aspx.

The Register-Guard asked each of the candidates a series of questions. These responses were received via email from candidates.

Why are you running for Oregon State Representative of District 8?

Canning: I care about the future of Eugene and having worked inside the House of Representatives, I know how much we need a skillful champion in Salem. I know what it means to go without healthcare coverage, take on student debt, juggle multiple jobs, and start a business to make a better life for my family here in Eugene. As a Legislative Director, I’ve been involved in critical bi-partisan legislation on issues like housing, addiction, mental health, climate, racial justice and abortion rights, and delivered funds for community priorities like safer crosswalks, schools, housing, and urban tree shade for summer heat.

Fragala: I’ve lived in this district for 31 years and been an elementary teacher for 25. As an educator, I’ve had an intimate view into the challenges families are facing and I’ve worked over the last two decades to make this community a better place for everyone. I’m inspired to run for this seat by a vision of working towards a more promising future and I have the experience & expertise needed to get things done. As a state representative, I’ll bededicated to making this community and all of Oregon a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family.

What are your three top issues in your campaign platform?

Fragala: A frequent concern I hear from community members is the need for affordable housing. I’ve been working to create a stable affordable housing supply and will make this a primary focus in Salem. We need a strong localeconomy for working families and small businesses. At LCC, I’ve advocated for a workforce hub to create good paying jobs. As your representative I’ll identify opportunities to strengthen our local economy so everyone does better. Addressing the climate crisis is a critical priority. I’ll lead on the transition to a clean energy economy and work to secure much needed resources to prepare for climate resilience.

Canning: HOUSING: Eugene urgently needs solutions for housing and homelessness, from more immediate shelter and mental health services for the unhoused, to intentional neighborhood development that preserves existing affordability, and creates more options for families to put down roots and elders to age in place. CLIMATE: Climate change is my professional background. I have every environmental endorsement in this race because of my record of leadership. UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE: I’m proud to be endorsed by Single Payer Healthcare Advocates of Oregon and I’ll push for universal healthcare, while addressing immediate issues like the University District Hospital closure that left our community without an ER.

What's something about you that you'd like voters to know?

Canning: My husband, Justin, moved to Eugene in 2004 for graduate studies at the UO. In 2007 he brought me to Eugene for the first time for a classmate’s wedding. We went to Brail’s for breakfast and started talking about a future in Eugene. Fast forward a few years, and we were unloading a moving truck on 24th (Ave.). Now we both have degrees from the UO, he teaches in the School of Journalism and Communications, and our kids are Ducks fans, riding bikes on Amazon path, camping in the Willamette National Forest, fishing in the McKenzie, and they think umbrellas are unnecessary.

Fragala: Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I fought hard to beat it. And did! As a breast cancer survivor, I personally know what it means to navigate a healthcare system with limited opportunities for care, that’sburning out healthcare workers and is dominated by insurance companies. Corporations shouldn’t be able to make decisions for us about life-saving care. I’ll fight for a healthcare system that prioritizes people and frontline workers − not profits. Just like I fought cancer, I will fight for innovative healthcare solutions for our community and for all Oregonians to have access to healthcare.

Are there any specific policies or strategies you support or want to develop to incentivize affordable housing development or assist low-income renters and homeowners?

Fragala: This is one of the most critical issues I’d work to address in Salem. We need state policies that align our housing supply to our community needs. In Eugene, the cost of a home is double what our local median income is.I’d advocate for solutions to address attainable home ownership and affordable rental opportunities. The state already has a grant program for low-income housing, and it's time to make investments in opportunities foraffordable median income housing. I’ll create innovative programs that bring all levels of government together to address the homelessness crisis with housing opportunities and supportive services.

Canning: Oregon is 140,000 housing units short. Everyone can see how this scarcity creates pressure on the market - for rent and purchase − making it difficult to find a place. I’d partner with Lane County and the City of Eugene to look at how we can grow our housing inventory and remove barriers for first-time home buyers, lower-income renters, growing families, veterans and seniors. This will also help employers retain local talent. I’ll focus on bringing our unhoused neighbors inside and providing wrap-around services. I’ll support policy that provides financial assistance for renters, while keeping housing providers whole.

How to you plan to support public education at the state level? What policies do you intend to push for/develop amidst growing concerns about behavioral health and teacher burnout?

Canning: I’m a proud 4J public school mom and co-chair of Yes for 4J Schools. It’s critical that our students and educators have the resources they need to succeed, but right now, pandemic learning loss in Oregon is roughly two to three times worse than national averages. We need more paraeducators, librarians, reading specialists, and mental and behavioral health specialists. It’s my understanding that there’s a group of legislators looking at how we formulate the Current Service Level and a task force meeting on state bargaining and a statewide salary schedule, both issues I’d be interested in supporting.

Fragala: As a public school teacher in our local classrooms for more than 25 years, I know firsthand that our public schools are critical pathways to opportunity and cornerstones for preparing the next generation. I also know they need support. I’ve championed investments in the resources students need to be successful and I’ve been partnering with school districts to solve teacher shortages. We need to address class sizes and invest in staffing forschools, including specific opportunities for mental and behavioral health. We need to expand investments in early childhood education so students get a strong start early.

This is your third time running for public office, previously running for the federal seat, how is your campaign different this time around and what did you learn in your last elections?

Canning: South Eugene is my home and I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the issues facing our communities from many people − small business owners, families, retirees, students, activists, artists − who make this the amazing community we love. In House District 08 today there is no Republican running, so it’s an opportunity for Eugene Democrats to embrace a new generation of progressive leadership for our party. After 20 years of working in climate and community organizing, the extremism of today’s MAGA Republican party pushed me into politics. Running for office is one way we can strengthen our democracy by offering voters more options.

How would your past experience in public office inform you in thisnew role, if elected?

Fragala: My experience as an elected leader at LCC and my Eugene Planning Commission role mean I’ve listened to local needs and worked to deliver on policy that benefits our community. I know real solutions take hard work and that our state faces complex challenges requiring collaboration at all levels. Elected leadership is a humbling opportunity in recognizing how much need there is locally, how to listen to people doing the real work every day, and how to put yourself aside to serve your community. It’s a lesson I’ve been honored to learn and this new role would be an expansion of that service.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Canning, Fragala vie in Oregon Representative District 8 race