Jim Hinsvark

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Jim Hinsvark

Pacific Green Party, Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Associate

Chemeketa Community College, 1976

Bachelor's

Portland State University, 2004

Personal

Birthplace

Alameda, Calif.

Profession

Farmer

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Jim Hinsvark (Democratic Party, Pacific Green Party) ran for election to the Oregon State Senate to represent District 9. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Democratic primary on May 19, 2020.

Hinsvark completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jim Hinsvark was born in Alameda, California. He earned an associate degree from Chemeketa Community College in 1976 and a bachelor's degree from Portland State University in 2004. His professional experience includes working as a farmer. Hinsvark has been affiliated with Oregon Tilth, the Wasabi Paddling Club, and Friends of Family Farmers.

Elections

2020

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oregon State Senate District 9

Incumbent Fred Girod defeated Jim Hinsvark and Patrick Marnell in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 9 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred Girod (R)	67.0	50,357
		Jim Hinsvark (D / Pacific Green Party)	30.1	22,627
	Submit photo	Patrick Marnell (L)	2.8	2,127
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	93

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,204
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 9

Jim Hinsvark advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 9 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Hinsvark	97.0	8,627
		Other/Write-in votes	3.0	266

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,893
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 9

Incumbent Fred Girod advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 9 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred Girod	99.2	16,715
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	129

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,844
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Oregon State Senate District 9

Patrick Marnell advanced from the Libertarian convention for Oregon State Senate District 9 on July 6, 2020.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Patrick Marnell (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jim Hinsvark completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hinsvark's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 3rd generation farmer. Growing up on the farm has helped form my values. I come from a large family and believe that family is the core of who we are and how we got started in this life. I was raised by loving parents who worked hard to provide for us. They instilled a sense of pride in me and hope for the future. They promoted self reliance. One of the main beliefs I came away with is - whatever I do, good or bad, I will reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of my actions. I roamed the fields and forests out back of the farm and later loved exploring the foothills of the Cascades.

   I was raised to be independent and was taught that nobody is self made. Some may work harder than others, but we all depend on the structures; roads, schools, etc. of society and the other people in it. 
   I raised my kids with the same Love and Respect my parents showed me. Instilling in them the values of family, community and respect of others. Compassion towards other people is a necessary in a society.
 I lead an active life.  I love competition.  After some hard training I made the Team USA Dragonboat Team. I was able to represent the USA at the 2009 World Games in Taiwan. As with life, it is the work of preparation that allows success. 

For me, education is a life long process. I went back to college and at age 50 earned my BS in Geography, science matters. My two older kids and I graduated the same weekend. One son is now learning how to run the farm.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• First and foremost we have to relearn how to communicate with others. We are ALL in this together. It is possible to honor our beliefs while reaching out to others. Our political system is broken. Only by focusing on the larger societal issues can we grow together and get things done.
• Climate Change is here. We are running out the clock on dealing with it. Nothing else, none of our talking points, where we stand other issues, what we believe, our political party will matter if we fail to work on Climate Change.
• Our District has been harmed by the policies of government for decades. We think and act different than urban folks. We need to rebuild local food supply chains. Make it easier for local producers to get their items to market. Support our towns in rebuilding their communities in ways that make sense to them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I really believe we can attack Climate Change while creating good, local jobs. Using the local talents and businesses to produce solar and wind generation systems. Building mounting frames and racks. Hiring good electricians to either install or finish the hook ups for DYI folks. We in rural areas are very good at making what we need, but there are building codes to follow.

 To make this happen I would work towards creating a model in which solar arrays and wind generation systems could be designed and installed by or for families. Taking the money that was paid to the utility company and using it to pay off the system they chose to install. When paid for, the system would be theirs and the money saved could be used for whatever they want to improve their lives.

  The Cap and Trade system envisioned by Democrats is off target and I oppose it for the following reasons:

1) It would create a huge bureaucracy. Creating a "target", larger government, for those who oppose taking action.
2) It is based on the system that got us into trouble. People and companies that can afford to buy credits to keep polluting will. Smaller companies will struggle to outbid them and may not be able to afford changes to meet new standards. Power/money would concentrate even more.

To take ownership of the changes needed people have to see and understand that their actions matter. Changes need to be equitably shared across society. What works for Portland may not for our District.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My parents. They lived through a pandemic, the depression, two world wars and still found in their hearts enough Love to raise our family. To look to the future with hope and a certain amount of optimism. The showed compassion to migrant workers looking for work and when there was no work they were sent along the way with enough food for dinner. After experiencing all they had been through they understood how it felt to be without.

We were poor and I never felt that way. Mom made almost all our clothes. She would be up till midnight sewing, canning, all the stuff she couldn't get done during the day. Dad worked hard off and on the farm to succeed.
They showed us that lifelong education was a goal. Education is not an endpoint. It allows for a greater understanding of the world we live in.

I try to honor them by living the best life I can. Caring and looking towards a better future for all.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Listening is a skill that is needed. It can open the mind to different lines of thinking. Allowing greater communication between legislators.

Big picture view. Being able to look at the developing rules and understand the effects on all aspects of society. Legislators often get lost in the vast amounts of data before them and try to react to all of it in one big law. What is often forgotten is how the law effects the different parts of our society.

Concern for the greater society as well as those who voted for you. We are all in this together.

Base decisions on facts. Entire facts and not partial or unrelated facts to support the view of what you want.

Honesty

What legacy would you like to leave?

That real progress was rapidly made against Climate Change.

In order to do this we must first realize that we are all in this together and only by working together can we make the future one we want our kids and grandchildren to live in.

Being an individual is part of being alive. Part of being in a society is understanding that there are things we must do as a group. We don't stand alone. We rely on the structures of society. We don't all need to think, act or be the same. We can live our individual values and still work together towards a common good.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

President Kennedy was shot. I was in the third grade.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Picking berries. I'm still doing it!

What is your favorite book? Why?

One of my favorites is Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, 1992

It deals with human society and the biases inside our culture. A different viewpoint written with a unique perspectice

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Create and enact a plan to that will deal with Climate Change. Climate Change is the biggest threat to us and needs to be the major focus of the legislature. The divisions along this topic run deep in our District. The main reasons behind the divisions are that rural Oregonians are often made to follow directives from the State that do not take into account the differences between urban and rural life. Failing to understand the different transportation needs, agricultural requirements, access to food and lifestyles is why the current legislators cannot enact rules properly. Climate Change is a societal issue and needs to be dealt with on that level. Equitable to both rural and urban life.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I would prefer to take the politics out of the equation. With Geographical Information Systems (GIS) we could create a model that overlay the correct parameters for districts. Do not use party affiliations, voting habits, shopping habits, age etc. Use the parameters of number of people of voting age and limit the number of edges to a reasonable amount. The zigzagging current used make for some pretty crazy maps. This could be a process that engages the State Colleges in a competition to create the best map. The winning school would get recognition and or some sort of prize.

In lieu of that -

I favor the current Initiative Petition 57. The process of redistricting has always been an exercise the current party in charge of exerting power over future elections. I don't remember a time when the redrawn maps didn't end up in court. This petition if passed, would set up a Commission that would have a more diverse power structure of the current redistricting. It introduces a system that eventually appoints members from across the political landscape. Though not a perfect system I believe in the long run it will create a better Oregon. Only a more independent model will be able to accomplish what has always been an epic partisan battle. This petition would start us down the path to better representation for areas that are now split up in seemingly nonsensical ways.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Yes- Tom McCall. As an Oregonian he understood that Oregon is unique. He worked hard and during his time in office Oregon passed; HB1036 the "bottle bill"; with HB 1601 all beaches were forever public up to high tide mark and his work started cleaning up the pollution in the Willamette River.

He was a person that thought "outside the box". He worked for a greater Oregon. He worked inside and outside his party for the good of all. Reaching consensus to him meant with everyone, not just those within his party.

He understood the concept of "The Commons". He knew that there are places in Oregon that should belong to all citizens. Something that is so amazing it needs to be preserved for all the people. With our quest for individualism we often forget that we are a part of a greater whole. He never did.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Oregon State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Rob Wagner

Majority Leader:Kayse Jama

Minority Leader:Daniel Bonham

Senators

District 1

David Smith (R)

District 2

Noah Robinson (R)

District 3

Jeff Golden (D)

District 4

Floyd Prozanski (D)

District 5

Dick Anderson (R)

District 6

Cedric Hayden (R)

District 7

James Manning (D)

District 8

Sara Gelser Blouin (D)

District 9

Fred Girod (R)

District 10

Deb Patterson (D)

District 11

Kim Thatcher (R)

District 12

Bruce Starr (R)

District 13

Courtney Neron (D)

District 14

Kate Lieber (D)

District 15

Janeen Sollman (D)

District 16

Suzanne Weber (R)

District 17

Lisa Reynolds (D)

District 18

WInsvey Campos (D)

District 19

Rob Wagner (D)

District 20

Mark Meek (D)

District 21

Kathleen Taylor (D)

District 22

Lew Frederick (D)

District 23

Khanh Pham (D)

District 24

Kayse Jama (D)

District 25

Chris Gorsek (D)

District 26

Daniel Bonham (R)

District 27

Anthony Broadman (D)

District 28

Diane Linthicum (R)

District 29

Todd Nash (R)

District 30

Mike McLane (R)

Democratic Party (18)

Republican Party (12)