Recorded on: October 7, 2016
Air Date: October 10, 2016
On November 8, Oregon voters will elect a Representative from the 4th Congressional District in Oregon. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg, and part of Corvallis. The 2016 three-way contest is between Peter DeFazio, a Springfield Democrat who has served in Congress from the 4th District since 1986; Art Robinson, the Cave Junction Republican challenger; Gil Guthrie, representing the Libertarian Party; and Mike Beilstein, from Corvallis, representing the Pacific Green Party.
Mr. DeFazio, as Oregon’s most senior member of Congress, is the dean of Oregon’s House of Representatives delegation. DeFazio previously served as a county commissioner in Lane County, Oregon. He had not faced opposition until 2010, winning every election before then with at least 61 percent of the vote.
Mr. Robinson is a biochemist and conservative activist. He directs the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine in Cave Junction and publishes the Robinson Self-Teaching Home School Curriculum. He served as Chair of the Oregon Republican Party from August 2013 to February 2015.
DeFazio won his primary election with 93 percent of the Democratic vote, and Robinson won his with 67% of the Republican vote. As the Republican nominee for the 4th District in Oregon, Robinson previously ran and lost to DeFazio in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
Mr. Beilstein, retired a research chemist, worked at Oregon State University, Johns Hopkins University, and Medical College of Virginia. He taught as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa. He has served on the Corvallis City Council from 1999 to 2000 and 2007 to 2016. He previously challenged both Mr. DeFazio and Mr. Robinson for the 4th District in 2010 and 2014. He was nominated at the state convention in May.
This year the Presidential race has shaped up as particularly divisive, which has added importance to the House and Senate races in every state and made congressional platforms more significant in the struggle for control of Congress.
During election seasons, City Club of Eugene invites all citizens to hear and have access to their representatives. Each Friday throughout the year, City Club offers a program on public affairs to meet decision makers, ask them questions, and to educate and inform people about issues that affect their lives.
copyright, KLCC 2016
