Oregon House of Representatives District 15 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Oregon, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Oregon House of Representatives District 15 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 15

Incumbent Shelly Boshart Davis defeated Benjamin Watts in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 15 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shelly Boshart Davis (R)	60.0	19,995
		Benjamin Watts (D / Independent Party)	39.9	13,300
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	35

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,330
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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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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?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

1 in 7 Oregon children suffer from food insecurity. Let's feed them.

As climate change looms, renewable energy organizations are struggling to enter the market. Let's remove those obstacles.

Renters are paying more for their housing while their wages are stagnating. Let's support them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I am passionate for ensuring that the young people in our communities have access to excellent education, positive counseling, regular meals, and enriching activities at school and after school. I want to ensure that we leave for them a world that is not ravaged by the worst that climate change has to offer. We can make meaningful, lasting positive changes on carbon emissions and sequestration. We can move thoughtfully and intentionally toward renewable energy without harming the workers and their families that have dedicated their careers to the current systems of energy production.

We can advocate for all workers in our communities that work full time and deserve a better share of the value they create. We can help those struggling in our economy to have safe, reliable, and affordable housing, while also earning a living wage. As a previous small business owner, I know that increasing minimum wage may challenge some small businesses that may be struggling. It does not benefit those hard workers if their employer goes out of business, so we can establish grants for the benefit those impacted small businesses in order to help ease the transition.

We are lucky to have as many veterans in Oregon as we do, but every night, 1,400 veterans spend the night homeless in Oregon. We must work together to provide housing to our homeless veterans, and be ready to meet them with the resources they need in order to transition back into stable housing.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I look up to my parents. My mother worked part time and my father worked full time. Both of them worked together to provide a healthy and positive upbringing for myself and my older brother.

My Dad is a Vietnam veteran, and still struggles to talk about his time there. When his government called him, he answered and sacrificed of himself for the good of his community and his fellow soldiers. He worked long hours until he retired, but still managed to use his off time to focus on spending time with his family and interacting with his children.

My Mom has an extraordinarily strong emotional sense, almost telepathic at times, and is always ready with an encouraging word or to pitch in when something needs to be done. When she comes under disagreements with others, she always turns the cheek, but when others around her come under the same fire, she is like a lion in her ferocious defense of them.

B

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I think that elected officials must be ready and willing to engage with the people that they represent, even when those people disagree with them. It is important that our elected officials give consideration to many points of view within our community when they make decisions.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I build positive relationships with people from all walks of life. Politically, I come from a family that regularly disagrees with me on many topics, but we all can disagree without being disagreeable. More than that, I have come to value the level to which this sort of disagreement can help me consider and clarify my own views and, in turn, communicate them.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

To listen to voters, work with our community leaders, and build relationships on both sides of the aisle to take positive steps forward that will improve the lives of all Oregonians.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I would like to be remembered as a champion for children in need, for the environment, for the hard workers in our community and for our veterans. I would like to leave a legacy in Salem that continues the support of these groups and looks to continue the fight for these communities.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I remember the Challenger explosion. My class had sat around the TV and watched it, although I can't be sure it wasn't a recording rather than watching it live, because I was only 5 when it happened. I remember Reagan's speech and remember feeling overwhelmed by the gravity of it even though I struggled to understand it. Today, I can look back and still feel moved by that speech 36 years later.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

My first job was as a file clerk at Dr. Neal's office in Albany. I started when I was 14, and I had that job for about three years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I really enjoyed The Stand by Stephen King. King is able to lend voice to all of the many characters within the story, not just by what they say, but also by the description of how they perceive the world around them. It is a deep and enjoyable exploration of humanity, of people's moral successes and failings during crisis, and our ability to work together to overcome challenges that seem impossible.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I have struggled with PTSD and social anxiety as a result of my time in the military. I have been lucky to have a supportive family. My wife, Pamela, my children and my parents have supported me through all of these challenges, as well as the support I received through the Veteran's Administration. I have seen the successes of effective care that can be implemented for our veterans, and I want to ensure that current and future veterans receive the same quality of care, or better, than I have.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

The ideal relationship would be a respectful partnership between the governor and legislature in order to agree upon and work toward a future that improves the lives of all Oregonians.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

According to Feeding America, 1 in 7 Oregon children suffer from food insecurity. We can partner with our school districts to provide meals to our children and ensure that they have access to healthy meals every day, including weekends, and including summertime.

The state is facing widespread draught that is contributing to forests drying out and becoming tinder boxes for more widespread fires to take hold. We must work together to effectively combat the draught conditions while we work to maintain our forests in a way that helps reduce the likelihood of widespread fires, and we must prepare to better contain our forest fires

Oregon workers are struggling to make a living and pay for their housing. If the price of housing continues to increase as it has over the last two years, this will lead to more homelessness and the social challenges that go along with that. We must work to provide relief to those that are caught between the hammer of rising housing prices and the anvil of stagnant wages. We can do this through rental assistance, to help address rising housing prices, and by increasing the minimum wage, to help prepare Oregon families to meet the financial challenges of the current market. While raising the minimum wage, we will work to provide assistance and grant funding to small Oregon businesses that are affected to help ease the transition.

According to the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs, 1,400 veterans sleep homeless every night in Oregon. We must create an effective outreach program that works with them individually to bring them into a stable housing situation, and to provide the resources needed to make that happen. After all, they earned it.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

A bicameral legislature offers an additional set of checks and balances on the actions of both legislative bodies, requiring additional efforts to work together in order to achieve any legislative victories. On the other hand, a unicameral legislature is more streamlined and allows the single legislative body to move more quickly to accomplish their goals.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I believe it can be beneficial for a state legislator to understand the forms of government meetings, but this can be achieved without necessarily having been a member of such a body. Previous political experience can offer other benefits and challenges, as someone with experience may have relationships in their community that will be beneficial, but may also have developed some rivalries that can be a hindrance.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Absolutely. When bringing forth an initiative, any legislator will need to build and foster support for their efforts. When you have worked to build relationships amongst other legislators and across the aisle, that work to build a coalition can be more readily achieved. Additionally, these sorts of relationships can help foster better communication and understanding, particularly when there is disagreement.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I would favor having a neutral body work to create districts that are as close to rectangular as possible while also containing the same approximate numbers of people. Gerrymandered districts serve a political party rather than the people they are intended to represent. And the most egregiously gerrymandered districts damage the legitimacy of the legislative body as a whole.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I would love to be a part of the Veterans and Emergency Management committee, along with these following committees:

Behavioral Health Early Childhood Environment and Natural Resources Health Care

Housing

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Oregon Senator Gelser Blouin. She has built positive relationships within the community and on both sides of the aisle. She communicates clearly and has an excellent track record of accomplishing the things she sets out to achieve.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Not at this time.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I have heard from a member of our community that struggled with food insecurity as a child. They recall regularly going without meals, sometimes for days at a time. This is one of the reasons that the priority at the top of my list is to ensure that we take action to provide meals for the 1 in 7 children in Oregon that are struggling with this today.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

I remember I was at the school dance once, and after a while, people were starting to get thirsty. The line to get a drink of water was really long, and I had to stand there and wait. For some reason the line wasn't moving very quickly, I guess people were getting one or two cups full before moving on.

I was about to try to go find a water fountain down the hall when my friend Sam walked up with a full cup, even though I know he hadn't been standing in the line before me! I asked him, "Sam, where'd you get that drink, did someone get it for you?"

He replied "No! I just got it myself. This isn't water, it's punch. Look over at the table there."

I looked and suddenly I realized.

There's no punchline.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Yes, but only in times where that legislature concludes that government must be able to move very swiftly to address a crisis, such as in times of war, particularly in the scenario of a defensive war. However, those powers should be clearly defined, as well as an end date, and the means by which the legislature may claim back those powers should be defined as well.

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

Benjamin Watts (Democratic, Independent)

Yes, I believe compromise is necessary and desirable. When one side governs alone, it silences the other party. Our elected officials take on the responsibility to represent all of their constituents, not just the ones they agree with, and failing to take the political minority view into account leaves those members feeling unheard and unrepresented.

See also

More about these elections:

• Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2022

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