Jaffer and Noble deserve the local legislative nods

There are multiple reasons to vote against incumbent Republican Mike Nearman in House District 23, which includes McMinnville’s southern edge.

An obstructionist, he shows no interest in helping the wheels of government turn. He’d rather poke sticks into the spokes in hopes of triggering a derailment.
Nearman is an aginner. He stands against a lot of things, but for only a few — gun rights, tax limitations, abortion restrictions, traditional marriage and border security.

He has amassed an exceptionally weak record of engagement with constituents. It seems he’s already made up his mind, so sees no reason to expose himself to additional points of view.

But this year, you don’t need to vote against Nearman. You have the luxury of voting for a personable, moderate and thoughtful alternative in Danny Jaffer, one of the best candidates the Democrats have fielded around the state.

Jaffer grew up in Polk County, where he spent his summers working in local fields, orchards and canneries. Upon graduation from Oregon State University, he went to flight school to train as a naval aviator.

He ended up making it a career, seeing combat action along the way in the Desert Storm and Kosovo campaigns. And he now has two sons in active duty.

Jaffer holds a law degree from the University of Oregon along with service as a legislative aide. He also has a lengthy and diverse civic resume.

This is a race with a very clear choice, and it’s Danny Jaffer.

Jaffer is exactly the kind of principled moderate the Democrats need to put forward in neighboring District 24, which encompasses McMinnville. Nonetheless, it has settled once again on local handyman and stay-at-home dad Ken Moore, whose qualifications pale in comparison to those of Republican incumbent Ron Noble.

Two years ago, Moore mounted a last-minute smear campaign for which he has never apologized. This year, he appears to be mounting a last-minute stealth campaign. Nominated as a write-in, he showed zero interest until the eleventh hour, when he suddenly planted signs throughout the district.

Noble rose through the ranks of law enforcement, eventually earning the top job in McMinnville, then at Linfield College. And he displayed strong leadership both places.

A man of character and integrity, he has re-established our credibility in Salem. He deserves re-election.

We feel as strongly about the Republican in this race as we do the Democrat in the other.