Political roundup: A mayor, a city councilor and a business owner enter county races

Happy Valley Mayor Rob Wheeler runs in SD 24, a Mollala councilor seeks a county commission seat, and a third candidate joins the HD 52 race

The Clackamas Review, Dec 17, 2009, Updated Dec 22, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

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Happy Valley Mayor Rob Wheeler announced Thursday that he will run for State Senate in Clackamas County’s District 24, the seat held by Democrat Rod Monroe.

Wheeler, who has served on the Happy Valley City Council since 2001, said he’s running on a platform of job creation, fiscal responsibility and increased educational opportunity.

“I believe Oregon families want and deserve a future that is full of possibility,” Wheeler said in a written statement. “There are real changes that need to take place in our state if it is going to be a place where individuals can grow and prosper.”

Wheeler has been a financial planner since 1994 and has been a self-employed independent contractor since 2004. He currently works with Bennett Herman & Geertsen LLC & SagePoint Financial Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science Finance/Law from Portland State University and is a certified financial planner and a veteran of the United States Air Force.

There are no other Republicans vying for the seat, and there are no Democrats opposing Monroe in the primary. Should Wheeler win the nomination, he will face a senator who has been a fixture in Oregon politics for more than 30 years.

Monroe was elected to Oregon House in 1976, has served in the state Senate twice, and also spent 12 years as a Metro councilor.

Monroe also has strong education ties. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Portland State University and taught history and government at Tigard High School, later serving on the David Douglas School Board. He also served 15 years on the board of trustees of Warner Pacific College and currently serves on the board of education at Mount Hood Community College.

Monroe was the chief sponsor of several successful public safety laws, including tougher drunk driving laws, new safety restraint rules for children, and banning indoor smoking in public buildings. During his time at Metro, he also worked to garner federal support for lights rail, and helped push regional trail projects like the Springwater Corridor forward.

House District 24 includes Happy Valley and a large portion of East Portland, stretching from the Gresham city limits west to west to Interstate 205.