Vote for Michelle Emmons for State Representative (HD12)

Who are you voting for? The biennial question and challenging decision(s) each of us currently faces. Complicating our down-ballot decisions this election cycle is the overarching potentially historic presidential race.Sorting and filtering through all the incomplete, biased, and self-serving campaign information takes time. Weighting personal histories, character, policies, and parties to decide who you believe will best represent and advocate for you. Each of us uses different lenses based on experiences and expectations. My experiences campaigning and being the state representative for the past 18 months have certainly impacted the criteria important to me and set my expectations, especially regarding a candidate’s mindset. “They know enough who know how to learn.”Some of life’s most powerful lessons can be easily expressed in fewer than 10 words. Perfectly chiseled above a doorway I frequently passed, I read and chewed on this Henry Brooks Adams quote my entire time at Oregon State University. This quote resonates with me today as much as it did then. Always learning, always growing, always improving. This sentiment took root and continues to be fruitful in my adult life. I continue learning and endeavoring to emulate the Four Cardinal Virtues of the Stoics: Wisdom, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice. For Stoics, a reasoned life dedicated to public service is a fulfilled life. I agree.I also think about two other meaningful quotes relevant to today’s contentious, and drama-filled socio-political world. One from Linus Pauling: “If I couldn’t find a place for something, then I would change my picture of the world until I understood where it fit in.”The second from Governor Tom McCall: “Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: ‘This is my community, and it’s my responsibility to make it better.’”Perhaps I am just susceptible to quotes from people far more experienced, knowledgeable, and intelligent than I am. Regardless, these clearly expressed thoughts continue to resonate with me, and from my first day in the Oregon Legislature, I took time to ponder them and gauge my performance. Am I learning, applying new information, and working to improve my community? After all, if a first-term legislator doesn’t feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious then maybe they shouldn’t be there.A critical lesson I learned early in my life is “If you say it, you have to do it, and if you can’t do it, then don’t say it.”This straightforward lesson about setting expectations and following through

has been instrumental throughout my public service career, governing my interactions and tempering commitments I make to folks in the community. While campaigning it is easy to parrot party rhetoric and pledge to repeal legislation or take some other action that clearly can’t be done. The simple truth is that a freshman legislator in the minority has no gravitas and will repeal nothing. Claiming to do otherwise while campaigning demonstrates pure ignorance, the willingness to lie to voters, or a combination of the two. I’ve learned a lot over the past 18 months, and for that, I will always be grateful to the folks in HD-12 who supported and voted for me. I am a better person for the experience and the opportunities afforded me. All the experiences – from learning the legislative process to building relationships with colleagues, people in the district, and throughout the state taught me that influence is how you successfully deliver for people in the district and Oregonians.Building influence takes time and is predicated on the relationships you cultivate, the reputation you develop, and the work product you deliver. Build, cultivate, develop, and deliver – all verbs because it takes intentional and consistent effort and energy to build influence. Being in the minority can be easy. Your vote won’t change the outcome of bills because the majority will always have the necessary votes to pass bills. Because the only options are to vote “Yes” or “No”, it is easy to disengage and understand legislation is unnecessary before pressing either the red or green button – simply press the same one as the minority leader or most conservative veteran member. Putting party before people or country is easy –just vote how the Republican party wants you to. You either vote for the entire bill or oppose the entire bill and finding fault in someone else’s work, particularly if they are from the other party, is easy. Do this, and you’ll likely be re-elected. Easy.But representing people shouldn’t be easy, and easy won’t deliver for the people counting on you to represent and advocate for them. Representing 55,000 registered voters and impacting the lives of over 4 million Oregonians is extremely challenging. Representing requires intentional effort to learn and the willingness to admit you may be wrong; it takes courage to talk with people who disagree with you, treating people with respect and decency regardless of differing worldviews or policy positions requires openness, and pursing policy changes requires moderation, after all, extreme policy swings are unproductive, wasteful, and create inefficiencies. For background, almost everything in the Legislature is competitive – 90 legislators compete to bring money into their district to support capital projects, compete to have bills heard and passed, and compete to deliver for constituents. Everything in the House is at the pleasure of the Speaker – committee assignments, bills heard and passed, projects funded, and extra appointments. As the representative for HD-12, I successfully built some influence which resulted in bringing in almost $10 million to the district and six extra-legislative appointments to groups, task forces, committees, and commissions. Each enabled me to be a voice for the district – to represent the people who live here and ensure their voices are heard as problems and solutions are discussed.

As the November election approaches, the biggest unknown remains -- how will the presidential election impact down ballot races? State legislators provide a key bulwark between a dysfunctional, inept congress and delivering for people. State legislators perform a vital role in supporting local communities, programs, public safety, education, and health care. All things that impact people daily and, when done correctly, provide stability, security, and opportunities.

Who do you think is most likely to build influence, cultivate relationships, develop a respectable reputation, deliver quality work? A one issue extremist who is divisive, simply follows the party line, parrots party rhetoric, and doesn’t meet with people who may disagree? That sounds like someone who will stroll along the easy path – shaking hands and taking pictures. Or someone who is invested and engaged in the community, supports small businesses and people, talks to anyone anytime, and is actively hungry to learn, contribute, and formulate solutions? That sounds like someone who understands the gravity of the position and is willing to personally sacrifice in order to represent the 55,000 registered HD-12 voters and 4 million Oregonians.

There is only one option for me in the upcoming election for the next HD-12 representative: I fully support Michelle Emmons. And here is why:

• Michelle will do the hard work, sacrifice, agonize over the decisions she makes as she seeks to improve your life.

• Michelle will ask herself if she is providing you stability, security, and opportunity.

• Michelle will build influence, cultivate relationships, develop a respected reputation, and deliver quality legislation.

• Michelle will be at the table representing and advocating for you.

• Michelle will return your phone call and reply to your email.

• Most importantly, Michelle puts the district first.

In our conversations, Michelle has clearly demonstrated she is committed to the district and up to the monumental task of representing all of us, and all of us will benefit from her thoughtfulness and engagement. As someone who knows what it takes to do the job, I can testify that it isn’t easy, and nor should it be. Michelle will do the hard work and all of us will be represented and better off because of her efforts.

Charlie Conrad is an American Independent politician currently serving the 12th district on the Oregon House of Representatives. He won the seat in the 2022 election against Michelle Emmons. Formerly a member of the Republican party, he changed his party registration in June 2024.