Opinion

Keizer women on the fall ballot

Regardless of one’s political label, Keizerites should be excited that three local women will be on the general election ballot in November for key positions.

All Republicans, one is running for federal office, one is running for a state-wide office and one is running for county commissioner. That is a slate of nominees never seen from Keizer before. 

Local businesswoman and former Keizer City Councilor Amy Ryan Courser will face incumbent Congressman Kurt Schrader in the 5th District. 

Kim Thatcher, also a businesswoman, who has served in the state House and currently serves as a state Senator, won the GOP nomination for secretary of state. She will face her Senate colleague Shemia Fagan, who narrowly and unexpectedly won the Democratic nomination.

Danielle Bethell, executive director of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Salem-Keizer School Board, will face Democrat Ashley Carson Cottinghman for county commissionerin November.

On the morning of November 4, the day after the general election, Keizer may well find itself in the center of Oregon politics. Keizer was once home a U.S. Congressman: Mike Kopetski, who served two terms. The possibility of Keizer being home to a Congresswoman, a secretary of state and a county commissioner is exciting. If they all win their respective eletions, Keizer, too, would win. 

(Lyndon Zaitz is editor and publisher of the Keizertimes.)