Oregon House District 21
Redistricting means Keizer now sits squarely in the middle of House District 21, whose incumbent Chris Hoy is also running to be Salem’s next mayor. Both parties held primary elections earlier this year, setting up a race between Republican Kevin Mannix and Democrat Ramiro Navarro.
Mannix is a local attorney and longtime political operative in Oregon, having served in the Oregon House of Representatives for more than 10 years. During that time, he authored five successful initiatives and was the chief sponsor for 135 other successful pieces of state legislation. His campaign has focused on resisting what he describes as Gov. Kate Brown’s “radical agenda” in favor of common sense solutions to inflation, crime and homelessness.
His opponent for the Keizer district is Democrat Ramiro Navarro, who grew up in Keizer and owns an automotive repair shop in town. In addition to being an Army veteran, Navarro also represents Keizer on the Cherriots Transit board of directors. This will be his second attempt at public office, and his campaign has focused primarily on ending homelessness, and providing affordable healthcare and childcare.
Oregon Senate District 11
Lawmakers widened and lengthened the district during the 2020 redistricting cycle, putting the entire city of Keizer within its new border. The incumbent for SD11 is Peter Courtney, who announced his intention to retire last year.
In June, when Woodburn’s mayor, Eric Swenson, quit the race after winning the primary, Marion County Democrats nominated his primary opponent, local attorney and community leader in Keizer, Richard Walsh, instead.
According to Walsh, the people of Keizer are the “heart and soul of the district,” and he feels his understanding and membership in the community will help ensure their interests are well-represented in Salem.
His opponent is the current state senator for District 13, Republican Kim Thatcher, who was first elected in 2014. Thatcher, a former Libertarian Party member, owns two small local companies specializing in road construction. Her campaign has focused on her record in support of government accountability, immigration reform, and protecting Second Amendment rights.
