Danielle Bethell

Danielle Bethell graduated from Douglas McKay High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Oregon State University in 2012. Her career experience includes working as a Marion County commissioner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m running because I’ve spent the last five years turning crisis into progress at the county level and I know we can do the same statewide. As Commissioner for Marion County, the fifth largest county in Oregon, equally urban and equally rural, I’ve seen firsthand how disconnected state government has become.

While others debate theory, I’ve balanced budgets, negotiated contracts, and kept public safety systems funded. I’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with wildfire survivors, addiction counselors, and small-town mayors. I’ve fought for housing and infrastructure projects that matter to both working families and small businesses. That hands-on executive experience is exactly what Oregon hasn’t had in the Governor’s Office for far too long, and it shows.

I’m not an off-the-shelf candidate. I haven’t spent my life climbing the political ladder or building a career in rulemaking.

I’ve been in the trenches. Starting a business, raising a family, then working in local government. Negotiating contracts, balancing budgets, and making tough calls when the state walked away. While others draft laws from a distance, I’ve been the one responsible for turning those laws into results people can actually feel in their daily lives.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am not an off the shelf politician raised into government or chosen by the establishment. I am a candidate who has faced hard challenges and won, as an elected Commissioner, small business owner, and mother.

I was raised in poverty by a mother who tried effortlessly to navigate the broken and unprioritized mental health systems in Oregon.

I firmly believe it is past time we elect an executive, not a legislator to the Governor's office.I have direct experience navigating the broken and costly systems of Oregon's government. I can walk into office on day one and give direction to make real, sustainable impacts in areas such as homelessness, addiction, mental health, housing, transportation, solid waste, energy, infrastructure, livability, affordability, agriculture and education - just to name a few topics I work on daily.

I am not a theory person, I am an action person. I do this work now, and what I have succeeded at is scalable.We have a narrow window to rebuild trust, modernize mental‑health care, and put Oregon back in the black. If we keep waiting, more businesses will leave, and more families will lose faith. I refuse to let that happen.

This campaign isn’t about left or right; it’s about showing up, owning the results, and proving that government can still work for the people who fund it.

Oregonians from all corners, and in between need to STAND UP in 2026 and elect a leader that will listen, engage and ACT. All of our communities matter. We need to show them they do.

The state government is too big, overreaching and out of touch. We can turn our state in to a bottom up, not a top down system. Cities & Counties should lead from the from the front.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economy, Infrastructure, Mental/Addiction Health, Public Health, Transportation, Solid Waste, Planning (housing/building), Energy, Education.

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Danielle Bethell did not complete the candidate survey.