Maxine Dexter Deserves to Represent Oregonians in Congress.
State Representative Maxine Dexter has been an unrelenting fighter for Oregonians in the State House. Now she wants to take that fight to Congress.
Last month I wrote an article officially announcing my support for Janelle Bynum’s campaign for Congress. I am now turning my focus to the 3rd district, where we have the chance to elect Maxine Dexter. Dexter is the smart, effective, and pragmatic leader we deserve in Congress.
Today, after much reflection and deliberation I have chosen to support Maxine Dexter for Congress in the 3rd District. Making this choice was not easy, however, I am confident that she is the right person to fight for our values in Congress.
Background
Oregon’s 3rd district is by far the most Democratic-leaning district in Oregon with a partisan voting index (PVI) of D+22. The district includes most of Multnomah County, parts of Northeastern Clackamas County, and all of Hood River County. The district is mostly based in Portland, especially areas of Portland East of the Willamette River.
The current Representative for this District is Earl Blumenauer (D), 75. This year, after spending 28 years as a Congressman, he has announced his retirement.
This has opened up a skirmish, with 3 high-profile Democrats already having jumped into the race. These Democrats are Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, State Representative Maxine Dexter, and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales. It has also been rumored that Former Governor Kate Brown’s Chief of Staff; Nik Blosser may be interested in running.
The Democrats in the race have already raised roughly $660,000 combined (and that’s in early funding), and the race is expected to be extremely competitive.
Who I am Supporting.
Deciding who to support in this race was not an easy decision for me. All of the candidates in this race stand for many of the same things. For me, my support in this race was always going to come down to each person’s background, track record, and governing approach.
While it is true that the Democrats in this race stand for many of the same policies, there is one who I have concluded will be the best person to represent us in Congress. That person is State Representative Maxine Dexter. In her 4 years in the State Legislature, she has shown that she is an unrelenting fighter for Oregonians.
Dexter possesses what seems to be just about every trait you would want in a leader. She is hard-working, she is smart, she is innovative, she is bright, and she simply does not give up.
It was only a few years ago when Dexter, a physician was elected to the State House, but she has already been recognized as an effective and efficient leader.
In the legislature, she has worked to cement Oregon as the most pro-choice state in the Country, to protect and expand LGBTQ+ rights, to reduce homelessness, to stop gun violence, and she has used her experience as a doctor to create better policies.
Oregonians have made it clear time and time again: we are a pro-choice state. Representative Dexter was a co-sponsor of HB 2002, a landmark law that expanded reproductive healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights. She has time and time again made it clear that she is avidly pro-choice and will work to codify Roe in Congress. While abortion may be safe in Oregon for now, it is no secret that anti-choice activists won’t stop fighting until abortion is banned nationwide. In Congress, Representative Dexter will be an champion for reproductive healthcare, including the right to an abortion.
Dexter has been equally strong in her commitment to protect and expand LGBTQ+ rights. As states around the country moved to restrict gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ rights, Dexter helped pass HB 2002, which expanded gender -affirming care in Oregon. HB 2002 is arguably one of the strongest pieces of LGBTQ+ rights legislation in the country. Representative Dexter was also a cosponsor of SB 704, which banned “gay panic defense” and again expanded LGBTQ+ rights in Oregon. As someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, this is personal to me. I am confident that in Congress, Dexter will take on right-wing extremists to continue expanding LGBTQ+ rights.
What is probably the most important issue to most Oregonians right now is homelessness. Those of us in the Portland Metro region have seen it in our communities and we have been hit hard by this crisis. Dexter has been at the forefront of the fight to reduce homelessness and increase housing affordability. In the legislature, Dexter was the chair of the powerful housing and homelessness committee. As chair of the Committee, Dexter worked to pass a bipartisan bill that appropriated $200 million to increase access to affordable housing. Representative Dexter also worked with Republican lawmakers to pass HB 2395, a law that expanded naxalone access (a lifesaving drug that can reverse overdoses). I am confident that in Congress she will keep fighting to reduce homelessness, and increase housing access, here at home, and around the Country. Dexter has proven that she has been and will continue to be a leader in reducing homelessness.
One issue that is particularly important to me as a young person is gun violence. In America, we have been devasted by what seems to be a never-ending cycle of mass shootings. In her bid for Congress, Dexter has been endorsed by Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action. As a physician, Dexter has seen the catastrophic effects gun violence has had on our communities firsthand. Last year, Oregon legislators, led by Representative Reynolds, passed HB 2005, a gun control bill that restricted “ghost guns”. Dexter was a co-sponsor of this legislation and was a key supporter. Arguably the most important piece of Gun Control legislation Dexter has helped pass is HB 2510, the firearm safe storage law. In an op-ed with State Representative Lisa Reynolds and State Senator Elizabeth Steiner, Dexter urged the importance of these laws, saying “As doctors, we work every day to support the health of Oregonians. An important part of that includes helping people take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.” Maxine Dexter is the champion we deserve in Congress for Gun Control. In Congress, she will do exactly what she has done in Oregon. She will work tirelessly to pass common-sense gun laws to curb the gun violence epidemic plaguing America.
It is no secret that in America today we face a healthcare crisis. Too many Americans cannot afford their healthcare, and many don’t even have health insurance. The good news is that this crisis can be tamed. While we absolutely can talk about policy solutions such as Medicare for all and single-payer healthcare, one of many underlying issues is the lack of people with medical expertise in Congress. In her 4 years in the State House, Representative Dexter has brought her expertise as a doctor to Salem to advance new and future-oriented solutions that help us tackle some of the largest issues we face. In Congress, Dexter will bring her expertise as a doctor to shape national healthcare policy to ensure that everyone has access to affordable healthcare.
In the legislature, Dexter has shown that she knows how to effectively govern and that she can deliver the real and measurable results we deserve. Whether it is housing affordability, abortion access, gun control, homelessness, or anything else, Dexter has shown us that she will work day in and day out to help solve these issues.
We know that Oregonians and people around the country are hungry for change and for a government that works for them. Representative Dexter cannot unilaterally solve the myriad of issues we face; however, I am confident that she will fight to build up an America that works for all of us.
One thing Oregonians want in our leaders is the ability to work collaboratively and a level of pragmatism that allows them to be effective. That is exactly the type of leader Maxine Dexter is. She is progressive, but she is also pragmatic and has committed herself to being an effective advocate. Oregonians want a progressive champion in Congress, but more than that they want someone who will get stuff done. If you look singularly at her views, Representative Dexter is “progressive to the core.” Dexter has championed many progressive priorities such as single-payer healthcare, strict gun control laws, and taking action on climate change. Where Dexter differs from some on the Progressive wing of the party is that she is willing to look at things from all angles and to work with everyone-even people she disagrees with. This has been evident in her time in the Legislature. She has taken issues that so often divide us and crafted solutions that bring all sides together for a common good. While there have been times where compromise has not been found, she has been willing to be pragmatic and compromise when it means delivering results for Oregonians. She will take this same approach to Congress to get things done for us at the federal level. We deserve leaders who understand us and are more focused on producing results than being solely committed to one ideology. Maxine Dexter is that leader.
Conclusion
As I said earlier, when this race first started to heat up I had assumed I wouldn’t support any particular candidate. Why would I? I had liked all of the candidates in the race, and they all held similar viewpoints. I still admire all of the Democrats in this race. However, I have decided to support Maxine Dexter because she is exactly the type of leader you would want in Congress.
Representative Dexter would bring a new and unique perspective, an understanding of the problems we face, and the skills to get things done for Oregonians.
Representative Dexter is the leader we deserve in Congress. She is smart, hard-working, effective, efficient, open-minded, sharp, bright, and most importantly, forward-looking.
In her 4 years in the legislature, she has proven herself and she has made it clear to me that she is the kind of leader we want in Washington.
This will not be an easy campaign. Each candidate will likely spend millions and it will be an all-out battle. If you want to learn more about Representative Dexters campaign, you can go to maxinefororegon.com. I would also strongly encourage anyone who has the means to do so to donate to her campaign. You can also help elect Dexter simply by getting the word out, following her social media, writing letters to the editor, and when the opportunity is available, volunteering.
