Angela Roman
Keizerite Angela Roman never had any intention of getting involved with politics, but an invitation to a 9/11 memorial convoy led to her run for the Republican nomination in the race for the 5th District congressional seat.
“After the convoy, we were standing around talking wearing our 3-percenter shirts and a woman came up and we talked about the types of activities we participate in, particularly the work we do for veterans,” Roman said. “The woman started telling us about her brother.”
The brother, a veteran, was confined to a wheelchair that had fallen into such disrepair that he was embarrassed to leave his home in it.
“The next day I was making calls and Googling and I came across the Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America. I got in touch with them and in a couple of days they had two wheelchairs to choose from and we delivered one to the woman’s brother,” Roman said.
So far, Roman’s opponents for the Republican nomination include another Keizerite, former city councilor Amy Ryan Courser and Joey Nations, a Salem resident.
Roman said what sets her apart from the others in the race is legislative experience. The single mother of three is currently operating a home-based business, Patriette Decal & Decor, but she is a former legislative aide to Oregon state Rep. Mike Nearman of Independence. As an aide, she help Nearman pour over proposed legislation to find loopholes that needed to be closed and determine the appropriate questions to ask when bills hit the floor.
“The biggest thing I learned was how to sit down at a table with someone who has a concern. That is a huge strength to have,” Roman said.
As far as policy, Roman said she is a supporter of the Timber Unity movement that opposed cap and trade carbon reduction plans in Oregon, she remains a strong advocate of veteran support services and opposes protections for undocumented immigrants. Roman’s children are half-Mexican.
“I’m one of the chief petitioners to repeal the driver’s licenses for illegal aliens,” she said.
She said the immigration challenges at the border are a crises for Democrats and Republicans, but there are solutions to alleviate the problems.
“At a bare minimum, each state should send one Constitutional judge to the border to alleviate the backlog. Send them down there to help with the asylum judges and start getting people processed,” Roman said. “There are people that need to come here, there are families escaping persecution from cartels.”
Those looking for more information about Roman and her campaign, can visit angelaromanforcongress.com, but don’t be surprised if searching for her name yields reports of a 2017 arrest for supplying a felon with a firearm. Roman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and served four days in jail.
Roman was participating in a 3-percenter protest and said she gave her Ruger pistol to another member of the group, Matthew Heagy. Heagy is a veteran and also a convicted felon who cannot possess firearms.
“A fight broke out. He jumped in to try to retrieve this old ladies’ flag. Someone yelled gun. He didn’t even pull it out,” Roman said. “I told the judge, I would do it all over again.”
Her stand on the arrest aligns with what she most wanted potential supporters to know about her.
“At the end of the day, I believe in the Constitution and I believe in everybody’s freedom as long as they’re not pushing for violence against others. I’m here to protect their rights to feel how they want – just keep your hands to yourself,” she said.
