Two Oregon state legislators headline primaries for new Congressional District 6

The race to represent Oregon's newest congressional district came into further clarity Wednesday as Republican state Rep. Ron Noble of McMinnville officially declared his candidacy.

Noble, who has served in the Legislature since 2017, said he is concerned by the worsening partisanship at both the state and federal levels and hopes to bring a listening attitude to Congressional District 6, if elected.

"Government should only be big enough to carry out its duties and not bigger. I want better government, I don't necessarily want bigger government," Noble said. "Yet I know that we need to take care of those that have been marginalized and those that need a hand up."

On the Democratic side, Rep. Andrea Salinas holds the position as the candidate with the most legislative and state governmental experience out of the six candidates currently in that race.

The Lake Oswego Democrat, who was appointed to the House just months after Noble arrived, said she is running to represent working families in Congress and push policies that support them, including action on climate change, housing pricing and economic security.

"Progress is possible, but we can’t wait for it to fall from the sky. We have to work for it here on the ground," Salinas said. "Now is the right time to continue this fight in Congress."

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Salinas is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant father. Before joining the Legislature, she worked as a lobbyist for progressive causes, including on environmental and health care issues.

She said getting bills through the legislative process is her expertise and would be a benefit to the district if she is elected.

State political analyst Jim Moore said that when a seat in Congress opens up — whether that be through redistricting or retirement — state lawmakers usually have the best chance to represent the district because of fundraising advantages and name recognition.

They also tend to be more successful in the job because of their experience in government, he said.

"This is clearly a rare open seat. It’s going to draw people in. But it looks like Noble and Salinas are likely the top of the pack on both sides," Moore said.

The primary election for both Republicans and Democrats is May 17.

A split district

Noble said the newly created district — which the state gained due to population growth over the past decade — "feels like home." He has lived and worked across the district for most of his life.

The district includes Yamhill and Polk counties and stretches east outside those county lines to encompass Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Wilsonville, Tualatin and Tigard.

Political analysts have rated the new district as leaning Democratic, though not as strongly as other districts in the state.

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Noble said he believes the seat to be winnable by a Republican, particularly by him, since he already represents a state district evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.

"In some ways, it's easier for me to operate in a district that is evenly split than one that leans strongly one way or the other," Noble said. "It gives me an opportunity to really listen to all voices and represent the collective."

And, like Congressional District 6, House District 24 was an open seat when he ran for it in 2016.

Before serving in the Oregon Legislature, Noble was a career police officer, including serving as McMinnville chief of police from 2006 until 2014.

Four other Republican candidates were already vying for Congressional District 6 before Noble jumped into the race Wednesday.

They are:

• Angela Plowhead, a U.S. Air Force veteran.

• David Russ, a long-time small business owner and business executive.

• Amy Ryan Courser, a businesswoman who served on the Keizer City Council for three years and ran to represent Congressional District 5 in 2020, losing to Rep. Kurt Schrader in the general election by six percentage points.

• Nate Sandvig, a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran and clean energy executive.

Ryan Courser said in her campaign announcement she wants to take an "America First" agenda to Washington, D.C.

Plowhead said in her announcement she wants to keep Oregon and America safe from "communist and Marxist ideals" that have taken root in Portland.

On Russ' website, he lists the size of the federal government and the lack of "community" among his top issues.

On Sandvig's website, he advocates for a return to "common sense" on education, environmental and economic policy. He also accuses D.C. Democrats of attempting to "rig a permanent majority for themselves."

The other candidates on the Democratic side are:

• Kevin Easton, small business owner and former executive director of Equity Foundation.

• Kathleen Harder, chair of the Oregon Medical Board.

• Derry Jackson, former Portland School Board member.

• Loretta Smith, former Multnomah County commissioner.

• Matt West, development engineer at Intel.

Reporter Connor Radnovich covers the Oregon Legislature and state government. Contact him at cradnovich@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich.

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This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Noble, Salinas headline new Oregon congressional district primaries