Changing Tides by Finding Common Ground

Dear Friends,

Unfortunately, I lost my May Republican primary re-election campaign.? Although I always knew the outcome was possible, it took some time to process and figure out where to go from here, personally and professionally.

The loss led me to do two things – first, I am now a registered Independent.? My landslide loss clearly demonstrated the county Republican party has moved away from moderation, both in temperament and policy, and has embraced the MAGA uncompromising worldview along with the campaign tactics of misinformation, deception, and personal attacks.? My district is 40 percent registered Independent and unaffiliated, 32 percent Republican and 28 percent Democrat, meaning the vast majority of people didn’t have an opportunity to vote in the Republican primary, and I don’t believe they will be represented by an extreme Republican.? In the future, I will seek to once again represent and advocate for them as an Independent.? ?

The second decision and the purpose of this post - I have formed a coalition with legislators from other states to fight against political extremism.? We have identified common ground and are united in our advocacy for supporting the values and principles of good governance which include cooperation, collaboration, and compromise.? Although we differ on individual policy issues and solutions, we all understand the value of working across party and ideological lines to benefit the people we represent.?

We continue to identify and build relationships with other committed state legislators, candidates, and organizations so that our voices can be heard.? Legislating effectively requires building relationships and working with people, for people.? The disconnect between the one-world uncompromising view of the parties and what representing a district effectively takes is very clear and we need to bring these back into alignment.? This disconnect is dividing us, eroding the system of checks and balances between government branches (the hallmark of our constitution), and slowly transitioning us to an authoritarian form of government.? I for one will not passively sit by and watch this erosion occur.? If you know people interested in participating, please let me know.? This is an Oregon, northwest regional, and national effort.????

What else can you do? Vote, vote, vote (only one time please!).? I encourage you to vote, not simply along party lines, but based on the quality and character of the candidates.? You may not agree with all their policy positions – but can you trust them to represent the district? Can you trust them to be honest with you? Do they possess integrity? We need to set aside party politics and re-focus on the fundamentals of personal character, protecting people, and defending our Constitution.

Consider supporting Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).? Several recent conversations have changed my mind and sold me on the benefits and convinced me this is the right path.? I will be voting “Yes” in November.? One benefit is to moderate political conversations, but as was explained, RCV really does work to elect a candidate that represents the district i.e., far right, or left districts will elect far right or left people. ?See https://www.alaskansforbetterelections.com/ for more info. (We also need statewide open primaries for all positions – but that will be a future endeavor).

We can all do something to change our political course, please do what you can and help others in their efforts! Collaboration, cooperation, and compromise – this is how we accomplish change and turn back the extreme tide!

Sincerely,

Charlie