John Masterman

John Masterman (Republican Party) ran for election to the Oregon House of Representatives to represent District 48. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Masterman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John Masterman was born in Portland, Oregon. He earned a high school diploma from Milwaukie High School and an associate degree from Clackamas Community College in 1993. His career experience includes working in transportation.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Incumbent Hoa Nguyen defeated John Masterman in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Hoa Nguyen (D / Independent Party / Working Families Party)	52.9	14,451
	John Masterman (R)	46.8	12,773
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	69

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,293
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Incumbent Hoa Nguyen defeated Elizabeth Petersen in the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Hoa Nguyen	73.7	3,496
	Elizabeth Petersen	25.1	1,190
	Other/Write-in votes	1.2	56

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,742
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

John Masterman defeated Andrew Morrison in the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Masterman	69.3	2,345
	Andrew Morrison	29.8	1,010
	Other/Write-in votes	0.9	29

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,384
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Masterman in this election.

2023

General election

Special general election for Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors, Position 1, Zone 5

Incumbent Samuel Henry defeated John Masterman in the special general election for Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors, Position 1, Zone 5 on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Samuel Henry (Nonpartisan)	54.6	9,866
		John Masterman (Nonpartisan)	44.1	7,982
		Other/Write-in votes	1.3	232

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,080
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Masterman in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Hoa Nguyen defeated John Masterman in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Hoa Nguyen (D / Independent Party / Working Families Party)	51.2	12,329
	John Masterman (R)	48.7	11,712
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	20

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,061
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Hoa Nguyen advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on May 17, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Hoa Nguyen	98.7	3,854
	Other/Write-in votes	1.3	50

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,904
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

John Masterman advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48 on May 17, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Masterman	98.7	2,521
	Other/Write-in votes	1.3	33

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,554
= 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

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

John Masterman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Masterman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a dad, small business owner, and third generation Oregonian. I live the struggles that most families do: Working hard to pay for housing, child care, gas, groceries, insurance, etc. The decisions made by elected leaders in Oregon have made every aspect if living in this state more difficult. It's time for a more level-headed and practical approach. Common sense needs to be more common.

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?

Education for our kids is a top priority. Public schools use a lot of money per student to achieve very poor results. A lot of things are taught that don't have anything to do with learning the basics needed to enter the adult world. Reading, writing, math, economics, history, geography, civics are all examples of what should be taught and learned. We are failing at that. Graduating from high school now requires NO proficiency testing in any of these areas to graduate. That isn't helping our kids, and it doesn't help us. These are our future leaders! I support parental rights and school choice. Transparency with curriculum, and allowing funding to follow students would help in all areas, and give parents the options needed.
THe cost of living in Oregon is out of control. Housing costs too much. Energy costs too much. The state budget his risen dramatically over the last few years. Even with that hgue increase, $5.6 billion dollars extra were collected last year. We are being taxed right out of being able to live here. Reducing the tax burden encourages economic growth, which generates taxable income and more jobs. Everybody wins that way. So many unnecessary taxes and fees exist in Oregon, from the estate tax to the incredibly high cost of operating a semi-truck. The corporate activities tax is an illegal sales tax on businesses. That tax requires products and services to cost more, as a business has to make a profit to stick around. No free lunch available.
Crime shouldn't pay. Going soft on crime has clearly been a total failure. Having no consequences attracts more bad behavior. Look around the streets in Portland. The taxpayers are being held hostage by those that refuse to play by the rules, and that isn't right. Simply enforcing the laws we have now would be a huge first step toward correcting the rampant crime problem. If someone is on the streets and does not want to be there, there should be a path out of that. A hand up is fine. A hand out is not, as that only enables them. Helping people stay on the streets is not humane. We need to help interested people get into whatever recovery is needed. Those that refuse will need to deal with the consequences of breaking the laws.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

School choice in education. Plenty of money is spent on public education. Parents deserve to have their choice for their kids to be respected. Parents have the responsibility of raising their kids, not the government. Allow the funding to go where the parent decides is the best option. It's our money, and we should decide how it is spent.

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

An elected official is hired by the people to represent them. Interacting with, and understand the views and concerns of the voters is critical. A decision or vote by an official should respect the will of those that elected them. Considering the majority viewpoint needs to happen, rather than simply pursuing an agenda that negatively affects most of the constituents.
Being honest about intentions and principles is a basic requirement of an elected official. If there is no trust, you end up with a politician in the negative view. Nobody wants a self-serving person trying to have power. An official needs to work to take care of real problems for real people.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have an understanding of what it takes to manage real life. As a dad, husband, and small business owner, managing real-world needs is a daily activity for me.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Understanding what is best for the voters in my district as well as the entire state are fundamental. Evaluating and understanding proposed legislation is key. These are potential laws considered that affect all aspects of life for everyone in the state. What helps the most people? What is right? Remembering and respecting who elected you is necessary. The people call the shots, not the government.

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

Pietro's Pizza. I worked there for three years. Good pizza!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Ideally, the governor and the majority of the legislature would pursue the same goals, and those goals would be beneficial to all Oregonians. Right now, our legislators and governor push forward policies that make no sense for most people. They make life cost more, and remove freedoms we are guaranteed by our constitution. Respect those that elected you! In the absence of agreeing on the overall goals, working together to find common ground is next best. Set aside radical agendas and work toward things that help the average citizen both short term and long term.

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

The list is long. Poor leadership has created numerous areas where change is needed. Focusing on policies that make sense for residents is where we need to begin. People need to be able to make ends meet.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes and no. Learning how the process workd as an elected official can be beneficial, but it is also critical to stay in touch with the voters. Understanding their concerns and struggles is necessary to properly represent. Someone with real world experience in life provides this.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Of course. The other legislators are your co-workers. Teamwork is what will work best.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

www.voteforjohnmasterman.org has a full list of endorsements

What committees interest you?

Transportation is one of my top interests. People and things need to move around, and we need to make that as easy and cost-effective as possible. Transportation is required even for those that don't drive or even move around much. All the things used in daily life have to get transported to where they will be used. Let's do things that make it easier and cheaper to move things around, rather than making it difficult and expensive. We own the roads already, so tolling them is not an option. Making decisions that keep fuel costs down is a high priority for me. People want to move freely and when they want to. Public transportation is only used as the primary mode for 5% of the people. We need to respect the needs of the other 95% as well.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Government money is taxpayer money. It needs to be easy and quick to find out where our dollars are being spent. The government works for the people, Transparency is critical. If a decision is made on spending taxpayer money, elected officials need to be willing to answer for where and why the money was spent. This philosophy carries over into all areas of government. Unelected people are not accountable to the voters their decisions affect. Example: Oregon Department of Education was recently given the authority to suspend graduation standards. And they did. And there is nothing we the people can directly do about it, even though the decision has negative consequences for nearly everyone in the state.
In short, just be honest about what is done and why. That's the job, after all.

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.

2023

John Masterman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

John Masterman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Masterman'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’m your neighbor down the street. I'm a 4th generation Oregonian, a husband, a dad, and a small business owner. As the owner of a small transmission rebuilding business, I understand each aspect of operating a successful business. Helping run a household is quite similar: The business model has to work or we go broke.

My experience that I believe qualifies me for the job of Representative is 36 years as a taxpayer, including everything from time in college (AAS in Auto Mechanics) to being an employee to running a business.

Activities ranging from skiing to kayaking to drag racing are where I look for fun. Mountain, river, or racetrack, there's a lot to love about our beautiful state.

The direction Oregon has taken is enough to motivate me to make the commitment to run for Representative, and I will take my practical life experience to Salem to help steer our state in a better direction.

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?

Public safety is a primary function of government. If you call 911 with an emergency and nobody answers, there is a problem. From dispatchers to police to fire fighters, we need to back our first responders. Proper funding and training to properly staff these departments is critical for the safety of our citizens. They all have tough jobs, and we need to be making them easier, not more difficult.
Homelessness needs a different approach. The folks that want to get off the streets need the necessary resources to succeed. Living in unhealthy and unsafe areas at taxpayer expense is not acceptable. Assistance for improvement, not enablement to continue the lifestyle.
Support and encourage businesses. Each time a tax is added or increased on any business, the burden of paying it ends up with the customer. Businesses exist to make money. Encouraging business growth through less taxation and regulation creates more jobs and sales, which means more tax revenue. Everybody wins that way.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Don't mess with our kids. A basic education should cover the things needed to enter the adult world, such as reading, writing, basic math, civics, finances, and history. Exposing children to pornographic material in the name of sharing incredibly age-inappropriate material is not acceptable. A person cannot enter a legally binding agreement until turning 18, so why are public schools pushing to teach five year olds about sexuality?

Parents (or guardians) are in charge of their child's upbringing. If they disagree with what is taught in public schools, the funding should follow the child to the education choice of the parent. The government is NOT in charge of our kids!

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To consider the needs of everyone in the district. Everyone;s voice matters.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To leave a better Oregon for future generations than what we have right now. A beautioful, clean Oregon and individual successes for the residents are important.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Transportation

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Grant, no. Oversee, yes. Checks and balances are needed. The governor has the authority to declare an emergency. The legislature should be able to end a state of emergency that never seems to end by other means.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Working together is necessary to accomplish things that accommodate the needs of more than a single viewpoint.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

John Masterman campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Oregon House of Representatives District 48	Lost general	$603,101	$685,844
2022	Oregon House of Representatives District 48	Lost general	$18,466	$5,770
Grand total			$621,567	$691,614
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 28, 2022
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 6, 2024

[show]

Current members of the Oregon House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Julie Fahey

Majority Leader:Ben Bowman

Minority Leader:Lucetta Elmer

Representatives

District 1

Court Boice (R)

District 2

Virgle Osborne (R)

District 3

Dwayne Yunker (R)

District 4

Alek Skarlatos (R)

District 5

Pam Marsh (D)

District 6

Kim Wallan (R)

District 7

John Lively (D)

District 8

Lisa Fragala (D)

District 9

Boomer Wright (R)

District 10

David Gomberg (D)

District 11

Jami Cate (R)

District 12

Darin Harbick (R)

District 13

Nancy Nathanson (D)

District 14

Julie Fahey (D)

District 15

Shelly Boshart Davis (R)

District 16

Sarah McDonald (D)

District 17

Ed Diehl (R)

District 18

Rick Lewis (R)

District 19

Tom Andersen (D)

District 20

Paul Evans (D)

District 21

Kevin Mannix (R)

District 22

Lesly Muñoz (D)

District 23

Anna Scharf (R)

District 24

Lucetta Elmer (R)

District 25

Ben Bowman (D)

District 26

Sue Rieke Smith (D)

District 27

Ken Helm (D)

District 28

Dacia Grayber (D)

District 29

Susan McLain (D)

District 30

Nathan Sosa (D)

District 31

Darcey Edwards (R)

District 32

Cyrus Javadi (D)

District 33

Shannon Isadore (D)

District 34

Mari Watanabe (D)

District 35

Farrah Chaichi (D)

District 36

Hai Pham (D)

District 37

Jules Walters (D)

District 38

Daniel Nguyen (D)

District 39

April Dobson (D)

District 40

Annessa Hartman (D)

District 41

Mark Gamba (D)

District 42

Rob Nosse (D)

District 43

Tawna Sanchez (D)

District 44

Travis Nelson (D)

District 45

Thuy Tran (D)

District 46

Willy Chotzen (D)

District 47

Andrea Valderrama (D)

District 48

Vacant

District 49

Zach Hudson (D)

District 50

Ricki Ruiz (D)

District 51

Christine Drazan (R)

District 52

Jeffrey Helfrich (R)

District 53

Emerson Levy (D)

District 54

Jason Kropf (D)

District 55

E. Reschke (R)

District 56

Emily McIntire (R)

District 57

Greg Smith (R)

District 58

Bobby Levy (R)

District 59

Vikki Breese-Iverson (R)

District 60

Mark Owens (R)

Democratic Party (36)

Republican Party (23)

Vacancies (1)

[bio1-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 28, 2022

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 6, 2024

[1]

[2]

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John Masterman

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Endorsements

2023

General election

Special general election for Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors, Position 1, Zone 5

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 48

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2023

2022

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

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Services

Additional analysis

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