Elect Scott Hege: Being a State Rep. Is Not an Entry-Level Job

I spent twenty years in the Oregon Legislature as a Democrat, and I learned something that doesn’t fit on a yard sign: the job is harder than it looks, and Salem is no place for amateur.

A legislator walks into a building where the budget runs into the billions, the bills run into the thousands, and the lobbyists already know exactly what they want. A new member without real experience gets steamrolled by the agencies, by the special interests and by their own party leadership. The voters back home pay for that education.

That’s why I’m supporting Scott Hege for House District 52.

Scott isn’t asking for a job he hasn’t prepared for. He’s an engineer. He ran the Port of The Dalles, where projects either get built on time and on budget or they don’t. He has served on the Wasco County Commission, where you can’t hide behind a press release when the road isn’t fixed or the budget doesn’t balance. He has sat across the table from state agencies and knows how they work, and how they don’t.

Oregonians are tired of paying more every year for power, insurance, gas and groceries while Salem asks for more. They need a representative who can read a budget, ask the hard questions, and work with anyone, regardless of party, to get results.

I’ve never cared much about party labels. I care about competence. Scott Hege has it.

Ballots arrive next week. Please vote for Scott Hege.

Betsy Johnson, former State Senator, (D-Scappoose)