CCCNews Podcast: Dean calls for small-business focus, rural school funding in House District 57 race
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 5, 2026 — Pacific Green Party candidate Josiah Dean said Oregon should overhaul economic development incentives that he argues disproportionately benefit large corporations, putting greater emphasis on small businesses as he challenges longtime Republican state Rep. Greg Smith in Oregon House District 57.
Dean, a Dufur resident and small-business adviser, discussed corporate tax incentives, rural schools, health care, renewable energy and government accountability during a recent CCCNews podcast interview.
Smith, of Heppner, is serving his 13th consecutive term in the Oregon House and is seeking reelection Nov. 3. Dean entered the race after the Pacific Green Party nominated him earlier this year.
Dean said one of his first legislative priorities would be changing Oregon's tax incentive structure for large developments.
“They should be for small businesses, but the big corporations have been taking advantage of them,” Dean said. “So I think we need to rewrite those laws.”
Dean specifically pointed to data centers, saying Oregon's incentives should focus more heavily on businesses employing 50 people or fewer.
He argued that although large data center projects can bring substantial construction activity, their long-term economic benefits do not always match their size or the public incentives they receive. He said temporary construction workers can also increase demand for apartments, hotel rooms and RV spaces in rural communities.
Dean stopped short of opposing data centers outright.
“We need data centers,” Dean said, acknowledging that cloud computing has become part of modern life. But he said incentives created when the industry was developing should be reconsidered as data centers have expanded and their demands on water, electricity and other infrastructure have grown.
Dean also criticized Smith's record on corporate development and called for greater transparency surrounding negotiations between governments and large companies.
Smith has represented the region in the Oregon House since 2001 and has defended his record of representing Eastern Oregon. Dean acknowledged during the interview that Smith has maintained his innocence regarding allegations Dean raised during the discussion.
Rural schools
Dean proposed changing Oregon's school funding formula to recognize the higher costs faced by small rural districts.
He said rural schools often face transportation expenses that urban districts do not, including longer bus routes, while also struggling to recruit and retain teachers and other employees.
Dean proposed what he called a “rural adjustment” that would provide additional per-student funding to qualifying smaller communities.
“So if your community is a certain size, it gets more per student than a bigger one,” Dean said.
He said additional support could help rural districts maintain programs despite declining enrollment and higher operating costs.
Dean also said local businesses could play a larger role in providing students with practical work experience.
Taxes and health care
Although running as a Pacific Green Party candidate, Dean said some of his positions may not fit neatly within expectations associated with the party.
He said taxes are among the most frequent concerns he hears while campaigning in rural communities and indicated he does not favor simply expanding government.
“I may not be on the Green Party side of, you know, increasing the size of government,” Dean said, adding that he favors helping people become more self-sufficient.
Dean did not identify a specific tax he would reduce during the interview.
He also identified health care costs as an issue that crosses geographic and political boundaries within the sprawling district.
Dean said lowering health care costs and helping small businesses are examples of issues that could benefit residents whether they live in Hermiston or one of the district's much smaller rural communities.
Solar development and agriculture
Dean also addressed the growth of large solar projects on agricultural land.
He said property owners should generally have broad authority over how their land is used, particularly when farmers and ranchers are looking for additional sources of income amid rising fuel, fertilizer and other production costs.
But Dean said government may need to impose restrictions when large renewable energy projects create demonstrated impacts on wildlife or neighboring properties.
He pointed to agrivoltaics — combining solar power generation with farming or livestock production on the same land — as one potential way to balance renewable energy development with agriculture.
Dean said properly designed solar installations can allow grazing or some agricultural production beneath or around panels while providing farmers with a dependable lease payment.
Accountability and rural representation
Dean said his campaign travels have taken him throughout House District 57, including Hermiston, Antelope, Arlington and Boardman, as he tries to reach voters across one of Oregon's geographically expansive legislative districts.
He pledged to hold regular town halls if elected and said he would continue attending community and business meetings throughout the district.
“I promise to hold regular town hall meetings whenever I get a chance to get back out here in the district,” Dean said. “To listen, you know, and find out what people are actually feeling and what they're experiencing.”
Dean said his experience living in Dufur taught him that residents of small communities often fill multiple civic roles, from serving on councils and chambers of commerce to volunteering for community organizations.
He said that experience shapes his view of government and his approach to the Pacific Green Party.
Dean said national party positions would not dictate how he represented House District 57.
“When I get elected, I will work for the people of the district,” Dean said, pointing to his previous service on the Dufur City Council. “You look at each issue and you do what's right for the community.”
Dean said he believes government can play a constructive role when institutions are organized around community needs rather than profit. He pointed to community-based utilities and cooperatives as models that could potentially apply to services ranging from power generation to health care.
Asked at the end of the interview whether he believes he can defeat Smith, Dean said conversations with voters have encouraged him.
“I think I can,” Dean said. “Some days I don't think so. But, like I said, when I get out and talk to the people in the communities ... I just talk to them about what I'm proposing.”
Oregon's general election is Nov. 3. Ballots are scheduled to begin going out to voters Oct. 14.
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