Our 2020 Election Endorsements
Our 2020 Election Endorsements are in. But before we get into them, here's a little context.
We (via our co-founder Nathan Howard) are the Vice Chair of the Oregon Cannabis Association Board of Directors as well as the Co-Chair of the Oregon Cannabis Association's Political Action Committee.
Part of our role is to interview, educate, and endorse candidates seeking elected office.
This election cycle we met with and interviewed State Representatives and Senators from every corner of Oregon, candidates vying for a seat on the Deschutes County Commission, Statewide Offices like Secretary of State and Treasurer, members of Portland City Council, including those running to be the Mayor of Portland, as well as statewide ballot measures.
These are roles and responsibilities we take extremely seriously.
The process that has led to these endorsements has been robust, thorough, and all volunteer driven by members of Oregon's cannabis community. Our PAC Board consists of 8 members. After assessing dozens of electoral contests across the state we invited select candidates to interview with our PAC Board.
Throughout the many, many hours of thoughtfully conducted interviews we asked candidates, some seeking reelection and some seeking elected office for the first time, questions on the topics of Social and Racial Justice, Enforcement Reform, Oregon Aid and Support, Robberies, among others.
After all the interviews were complete the PAC Board reconvened, discussed the interviews, and voted on each of the candidates. We then referred our recommendations to the larger Oregon Cannabis Association Board of Directors where they voted to accept our recommended slate of candidates and thus issued the below endorsements.
The purpose of the Oregon Cannabis Association PAC (OCA PAC) is to educate and elect a majority of candidates across Oregon who will work to support a fair and responsibly regulated cannabis business community.
Each election cycle the OCA PAC interviews key statewide, local, and legislative candidates and issue endorsements. We then promote those endorsements to our membership and provide campaign support in the form of in-kind strategic assistance, message training, as well as direct financial contributions to campaigns.
This work underpins the immense amount of policymaking and lobbying we engage in.
It forges relationships with elected leaders that we've seen can make all the difference in our State Capitol in Salem and in City Halls and County Commissions across the state. As we've seen over the past 6 years, the work the OCA PAC does is essential to making Oregon's cannabis community and trade more prosperous and fair.
Happy voting,
Nathan Howard & Matt Walstatter
OCA PAC, Co-Chairs
