Tim LeMaster

Tim LeMaster earned a military citation from Syracuse University in 1999.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I retired here in Portland from the Marine Corps in 2013.

I paid little attention to local politics in my life due to constantly moving while on active duty service.

Seeing the managed decline of our public safety and the long-time failure of our schools was the catalyst for me to throw my hat into the ring for this office.

We have serious problems that will continue to degrade unless we think and vote differently now. Failure to get the course directions needed to bring safety to our neighborhoods and success to our schools will require incrementally stronger action as time goes on.

I would rather be part of what will hopefully be a light handed fix to Portland and Oregon's burning issues now than have to live through what will likely be a heavy handed fix in the future.

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 will support public safety and the police who help provide that safety. Our leaders at the state and local level should have been a voice of reason 2 years against calls to abolish police.Our schools are failing our children and we need new thinking to help parents get better education choices for their children.Measure 110 that essentially decriminalized illicit drugs in Oregon either needs repealed or we need to pursue full decriminalization to include manufacture, distribution and sales of illicit drugs. Managing the monies while allowing contaminated poison to be sold won't work.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The greatest passion I have when it comes to government is the need to review and hold government waste and excesses to account.

Our state has repeatedly wasted money in instances such as the unemployment system that collapsed early COVID or the hundreds of millions wasted for the Affordable Care Act "Obamacare" computer system.

The state took a heavy handed approach in shutting down our schools for nearly 2 years despite contrasting data from countries such as Sweden that children were not affected or carriers in the way we initially feared. Our governor even shutdown private online schools who clearly were not a threat to spread COVID.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Space Shuttle Challenger exploding.

In Jr. High School and saw it explode on the TV as we watched in class.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a night closer at Taco Bell for my first job.

Looking back it helped me understand the value of setting up systems and standards to run smooth operations.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

It should be one that reflects checks and balances intended in these systems.

There should be a cordial relationship but there is the responsibility for both agencies to protect the people from excesses and/or misconduct that either agency may engage in.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

We have an extremely ideologically divided state.

This needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed by discussing common values and principles and working to honestly put political power at the lowest levels possible allowing the diverse communities we have here to operate as they see fit to govern themselves.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No. I sincerely hope that next term there are well established people from my district willing to come out and challenge this office regardless of who is elected this cycle.

This seat has been decided by democrat primary voters the past 18 years. That is bad no matter what side of the aisle you may sit.

Every incumbent should be challenged by members of their own parties in the party as well as opposing parties in the general election.

All incumbents should be called out to defend their decisions and actions in office and let the people decide if the incumbent should stay or go based on that defense.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

An elder woman told me how her grand daughter was bullied in public school. The mom tried to deal with the school to defend her child.

The school refused to hold the bully accountable so now the grandma is paying for her granddaughter to attend private school.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Absolutely!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely.