As Oregon Sen. Jeff Golden prepares to leave the legislature after six years representing Southern Oregon, five Democrats are competing in a crowded primary to succeed him in Senate District 3.
Earlier this year, Oregon State Senator Jeff Golden announced he would not be seeking re-election. The former Jefferson Exchange host and Jackson County commissioner said the frenzy of state politics — and recently losing close friends — informed that decision.
Golden has held the seat, representing southern Jackson County, since 2019. He's the current chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee. During his career, he has championed legislation to fund fire recovery and preparedness, an important topic in a district that faced the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire.
Most recently, he has supported a proposed tax on oil and gas companies to create a “climate superfund.” The money would have been used to offset the costs of natural disasters, but the bill didn’t make it out of committee.
Now, a packed Democratic primary race is filled with those looking to take Golden’s place.
Jim Crary has a background in law and serves on the boards of a local fire department and school. He said he sees people struggling.
“We all know somebody that is not making it,” he said. “They might be working one, two, sometimes even three jobs. And they're just not making it.”
Crary has a proposal to help.
“I want to take $125 million and return it to the lower-income working Oregonians,” Crary said.
He plans to do that in the form of a $1,000 tax credit. He also wants to invest $100 million into infrastructure to repair the state’s ailing roads and bridges. To pay for it all, he proposes raising the tax on beer and wine to 25 cents, which he claims will bring in over $300 million in revenue.
Golden has endorsed Tonia Moro in the primary. Moro spent decades as a public interest attorney and chairs the Rogue Valley Transportation District board.
“I'm happy to say that I've got his endorsement,” she said. “Because he knows I stand up whenever things are hard.
She helped defeat the Jordan Cove Energy Project, a proposed natural gas pipeline across Southern Oregon, and said she would bring that same combativeness to the state senate.
“Oregon is under attack from increasing lawless and violent federal overreach, and Southern Oregon needs a senator who is ready on day one to protect our constitutional rights and defend our community,” Moro said.
Kevin Stine, who said he’s the only candidate with children in the school system, has served on the Medford City Council for over a decade.
“I'm a results-based person, not a rhetoric-based person,” he said.
Stine said he led the campaign to build Rogue X, a recreation and event facility. He also said he has worked to house homeless people in Jackson County and recently helped Children's Museum of Southern Oregon get more funding.
“There's an old adage — if you aren't growing, you're dying,” Stine said. “Oregon is a great, beautiful state, and we just have a lot of structural issues that need to be solved.”
Denise Krause is a former professor in population health and has been active in environmental causes and animal rescue.
She led the unsuccessful Jackson County for All campaign to restructure the county commission.
“I say I only care about three things: people, the animals and the environment,” Krause said.
She said she would use her experience in public health to stabilize the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program, as well as extend access to healthcare.
“I think Oregon can be maybe the first state to move into a universal healthcare-like system,” Krause said. “I can be a champion for that.”
Cristian Mendoza Ruvalcaba, a nurse and the only candidate under 40, was raised by immigrant parents in Medford.
“As a person of the working class living in west Medford, I bring fresh leadership to represent our communities for bold progressive values,” he said.
Mendoza Ruvalcaba said he has a focus on expanding healthcare and a strong interest in social justice.
“I'm a person of color. I am an openly gay person. I'm married to a man,” he said. “I'm very afraid for our democracy and all of the violations of our human rights.”
Although Golden has endorsed Moro, he said he will support the Democratic primary winner.
Except for a two-year period, Democrats have held this district since 2003. Republican Brad Hicks wants to change that. He is the former head of the Medford and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the lone Republican running for the seat.
He’ll face the Democratic primary winner in November’s general election.
Primary ballots are due on May 19th.
