Tracy Cramer

Tracy Cramer was born in Gervais, Oregon. She received a degree from Anthem College in 2011.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Tracy Cramer was born and raised in House District 22 and attended Gervais public schools.

She grew up working for her parents' small business as a farmhand, and over the years has started a small business with her husband, Jake. When hard times hit their family financially, she went back to work as a dental assistant. During the pandemic, Tracy started her own co-op with local moms to keep her three children actively learning and engaged with others. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys being with her family and friends.

Tracy is proud to have grown up in this community and is looking forward to continuing to serve.

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?

Public Safety:

Oregonians don't feel safe like they used to.

I helped to replace Measure 110 with a system that prioritizes treatment over enabling people struggling with addiction. These are solid steps in the right direction, but there is more work to be done.

As a mom, I understand that a little tough love goes a long way. That's why I supported additional funding for law enforcement and the tools to help them do what they do best: protect us.Cost of Living in Oregon:

Working families are struggling to afford rising costs because of inflation and our housing shortage. Some of these are a result of federal policy, but the Legislature isn't making things better.

I support efforts to roll back regulations that are driving record increases in our utility bills. PGE has proposed raising rates another 7% after their 17% increase early this year because of government mandates that require utility companies to buy more expensive, less reliable energy.

I also supported legislation that would increase housing production and provide funding for the development of more housing, specifically for our agricultural workers and victims of sexual violence.Education:

Oregon faces a frightening dichotomy in education right now: graduation rates are rising, while academic achievement is plummeting. Politicians are too worried about getting kids to graduate, and less worried about if they are actually learning something.

I believe for our students to have the best shot at their full potential, school should prepare them. That's why I fought against the Department of Education's decision to suspend graduation requirements until 2028.

Kids perform best when they are in an educational environment that best fits their needs. That's why I introduced comprehensive school choice legislation that would put parents back in the driver seat by choosing the best education for their kids.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I first decided to run for office when I saw the direction of our state affecting my family. Having three young kids at home, education is a big area of interest. Educating our kids to become productive and impactful members of our society is such an important role. And this learning for our kids does not come from just one source, which is why parental rights should play a crucial role in the education conversation. Kids perform best when they are in an educational environment that best fits their needs. I’ve enjoyed learning about the different challenges and opportunities our students have in Oregon’s education system, and look forward to continue to advocate for our families.

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

My very first job was power washing my dad's log truck. He wanted it done rain or shine and had pretty high expectations for a 10 year old when I started out. It was especially fun when it would splatter back at me when it hit just the right angle to cover me head to toe in good ol' Oregon mud. The days when it was 30 degrees and I still needed to go out and wash the truck, I'd go in and run a bucket of hot water so I had something to thaw my hands in every once in a while. If the quality of my power washing didn't pass inspection from dad, I had to go back and do it right. Working hard and doing the job right the first time is something I've carried with me because of the values my family instilled in me from a young age.

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

I believe the Legislature has abdicated their responsibility too often to the executive branch. Instead of making difficult calls on complicated policies, we give the authority to the unelected bureaucrats to make administrative rules. Though there is still a public input process, this isn't good for accountability or transparency—two values we should uphold in government. It's time for the Legislature to reclaim their responsibility and hold the executive branch accountable.

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

During the pandemic there was an incredible amount of federal funding available to keep our state and our communities afloat during the uncertainty and budgets became inflated. Our state is facing major issues in mental health, housing affordability and an increasing homeless population, fixing our broken education system, rising costs of living, and so many other important challenges—but many of these issues require targeted investments to support the programs and policies that will address these issues. Budgets are about priorities, and raising taxes on our working families is not the answer to Oregon’s problems. The Legislature needs to take a hard look at where funding is going and make sure it is transparent and accountable to the taxpayers.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Having worked hard to build the knowledge and relationships over the past year and a half, I do believe it is beneficial to have experience in government while remaining grounded in the community. Potentially the biggest opportunity to be a voice for the district once being elected is just two months after the election when the Legislature goes into session for roughly six months. So much planning and preparation goes into making the session successful. Things as simple as understanding the alphabet soup of acronyms and governmental jargon, to something as complicated as understanding the web of state agencies and programs that will work with the committees the legislator has been assigned to all takes time to learn.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, each legislator brings a unique perspective from their area of the state and each voice plays a valuable role in the process of writing laws that are good for all Oregonians. Something I have seen in my time in the Legislature is that sometimes the legislator that is the greatest opponent of one of your bills may be the one helping you get your other bill across the finish line.

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

Our government was set up to be a system of checks and balances. One branch of government should not be able to unilaterally both make and implement policies. During the pandemic Oregonians saw the Governor use a record number of Executive Orders to go around the Legislative process and implement policies without input from Oregonians. The Legislature should make sure that is never able to happen again.

Tracy Cramer did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.