STAYTON

Long-time Republican State Rep. Sherrie Sprenger files for Linn County Commissioner

Bill Poehler
Statesman Journal
Rep. Sherrie Sprenger

Sherrie Sprenger has announced she will not seek re-election for the Oregon House of Representatives position she has held since 2008.

Sprenger, from Scio, filed Sept. 12 to run for Linn County Commissioner position 3, which is currently held by Will Tucker, in the 2020 election.

House District 17 spans Marion and Linn counties and includes Detroit, Gates, Idanha, Lebanon, Lyons, Mill City, Scio, Stayton, Sublimity, Sweet Home and Waterloo.

Sprenger was appointed to represent House District 17 in 2008 then won election for the position in the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 elections, always by large margins.

Sprenger said she will serve out her current term, which runs through the end of 2020.

MORE: Voters may get say in 2020 on Oregon's clean-energy targets with ballot measures

Tucker announced in June he wouldn’t run for re-election and has since endorsed Sprenger for the county commissioner position. 

“Over the years I’ve been asked to run for State Senator, US Congress, and Governor,” Sprenger said in a statement. “I seriously considered some of those positions. The reality is I didn’t become your State Representative to climb a political ladder.

“In the last few years, I've realized I can have just as much impact, maybe more, focused locally.”

Sprenger was the House Republican Whip – also known as the party coordinator – but has resigned that position.

MORE: Oregon House Republicans Could Replace Their Leader Next Week

Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, R-Scio, speaks as the House of Representatives convenes at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on the first day of the 2019 legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019.

“I think it is time for someone else to take the reins since I will be leaving the legislature at the end of my term,” she said in a statement.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, two candidates have filed for the position for the primary for the 2020 election: Jami Cate and Scott Sword, both Republicans.

No Democrats have yet to file for the position.

Cate, from Lebanon, is the chairperson of the Lebanon Strawberry Festival board and is a commissioner for the Tall Fescue Commission. She is listed as a self-employed farmer.

Sword, from Sublimity, is a semi-retired logger and has been on the city councils of Vernonia and Silverton, on several budget committees and on the board of the Willamette Education Service District.

The last time a Democrat won the seat was Gary Hansen in 2000.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler

More news: