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Tracy Thompson

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Tracy Thompson
Image of Tracy Thompson
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Palo Alto High School

Bachelor's

San José State University, 1990

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1979 - 1982

Personal
Birthplace
Palo Alto, Calif.
Religion
Agnostic
Profession
Scientist
Contact

Tracy Thompson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Oregon State Senate to represent District 2. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Tracy Thompson was born in Palo Alto, California. He served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 1982. He earned a high school diploma from Palo Alto High School and a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University in 1990. His career experience includes working as a scientist.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Oregon State Senate District 2

Noah Robinson defeated Tracy Thompson in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 2 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Noah Robinson
Noah Robinson (R)
 
66.9
 
50,872
Image of Tracy Thompson
Tracy Thompson (D) Candidate Connection
 
32.9
 
25,040
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
123

Total votes: 76,035
Candidate Connection = 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 2

Tracy Thompson advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 2 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tracy Thompson
Tracy Thompson Candidate Connection
 
97.4
 
6,047
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.6
 
162

Total votes: 6,209
Candidate Connection = 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 2

Noah Robinson defeated Christine Goodwin in the Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 2 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Noah Robinson
Noah Robinson
 
61.1
 
13,228
Image of Christine Goodwin
Christine Goodwin
 
38.7
 
8,367
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
51

Total votes: 21,646
Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Thompson in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a Veteran, an innovator and a leader. I am a pragmatic problem solver who has spent a career creating products to help people live healthier and longer lives.

While I am a veteran and spent three years in the Army, that does not define me. I believe we should have some sort of national service, so when people say, “Thank you for your service.” it ignores all the other types of service Americans provide for one another. I founded two biotech companies working on cancer immunotherapies and led large teams of researchers. My work here and elsewhere in nanotechnology results in several patents, showcasing innovation. As for my values, I believe in truth, transparency, integrity and helping others to achieve their highest selves. This is reflected in the fact that, even without a PhD, I was affiliate faculty at Oregon State University helping both undergraduate and PhD students on their academic journeys. For me education is an important part of personal growth and I believe that the best way to encourage critical thinking is to expose students to a broad range of ideas. I am a critical thinker and am always willing to change my beliefs based on data and information that is raw and unfiltered.

I am a capitalist who believes that the best of capitalism is when those who benefit the most from it give back to the society that enabled them to achieve their good fortune.
  • First of all it is critical that we get away from partisan politics. I am a centrist and as a result of 30+ years in international business recognize that compromise is essential to progress and success. The attitude, as expressed by some in this race, ot ‘no compromise’ is a losing strategy for the people we are elected to represent. There are always areas where agreement can be found and I believe it is critical to work from those positions and build on them. No one gets everything they want, but if a no-compromise position is taken, then you will find you get nothing and those who lose are the people in our communities.
  • I choose to work from a position of hope and optimism. It is a well known neuroscience fact that fear is a stronger emotional state, but I refuse to be afraid of this world and the rapid changes we constantly experience. We have to be able to adapt to those things that are impacting our lives today and in the near future. From advanced automation to AI to our global economy, adaptation is what allows species to thrive. Rather than fear these changes I embrace them and the new opportunities they offer.
  • I love our Constitution. So much so that I took a year course in Constitutional law as an elective. When I took the oath of service when entering the Army, I really took it to heart. I never thought the phrase “defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic” would likely be more focused on domestic terrorism today than when I joined. I will fully defend the Constitution and the rights it protects. We have a system and processes in place that need to be respected. When people don;t like the outcome of elections and take matters into their own hands, that goes against everything we stand for and what the world has come to admire in the USA.
The climate first, because it is an existential threat and if we get that wrong, nothing else matters.

Second is affordable housing and homelessness. There is no reason why in the richest nation on Earth we have the housing problem we do. I believe government should play an essential role in catalyzIng solutions to solve the problem.
Another critical issue I have been involved with is healthcare. I strongly support a healthcare for all model that provides at least a basic support system and eliminates catastrophic healthcare costs as the number one cause of bankruptcy.

Finally, education. Our universities are the envy of the world. So why are our primary and secondary education systems failing so badly? This needs to change.
Transparency, integrity, inclusivity.

First of all, transparency is important. Who’s is paying for the candidate’s campaign. If you follow the money you will understand the motives. I have seen candidates go against their constituent’s best interest simply because of the donations. I would like to see election finance laws changes to reflect those of countries where the amount of funding is capped or provided by the government. It essentially favors a plutocracy.

For me integrity means being true to yourself, not being a hypocrite and doing the right thing versus the most politically beneficial. This is perhaps one of the most frustrating areas of politics for me in that people with the most integrity aren’t usually the best politicians because they just aren’t good liars. It is one thing to be diplomatic, but the flagrant hypocrisy is astonishing. It usually is the result of a mindset that the ends justify the means.

When I say inclusivity many will get an image of DEI: diversity, equity and inclusion. In the sense that it is a reflection of one constituency, absolutely. As a representative it is incumbent to represent ALL the people. I heard one County Commissioner say to me once, “I don’t represent you.” I was shocked. But it did underscore why my county has so many problems. Clearly you can’t please all the people all the time, as they say. But you sure as heck need to consider all the perspectives.
The best quality I offer is the ability to meet people where they are; to listen to their concerns with empathy; to be able to gather diverse data sets and analyze them effectively to find the optimal outcome. I am an effective problem solver and approach all problems with an open mind and as much as is practicable apply scientific methods to my decision making.

I realize this is not always possible, but have not forgotten that the human element is just as important.

In a nutshell: be nice and share your toys.
To address the most pressing issues facing the community. These are reflected in my top priorities. Our region had intergenerational poverty and homelessness, above average poverty in the nation and underperforming schools. These are all heavy lifts, but it is incumbent on the Senator elected to this position to ensure that any and all available State resources are brought to bear in addressing these critical issues.

I also believe it is critical for the person elected to this role to provide outside the box ideas that may generate new solutions as opposed to a rehash of failed attempts of the past.

Finally, it is also incumbent on the person in this role to take along with them the people, so they are not alienated by proposed changes or new programs. As previously stated fear is a powerful motivator and needs to be addressed when changes are proposed.


Another key role is to make sure the voice of the community is heard in Salem, where the Democratic power structure from Portland is in control. Often the voice of rural communities gets lost in the noise. It is essential that the concerns and issues of our rural community be on the minds of those in control
I would like to solve the healthcare issue here in Oregon. I have created several products that have helped literally 10s of millions. But I also experienced the cost of a serious medical condition when my late wife got cancer. After passing I tallied our bills: $1.26M! No one should have to experience this.
The assassination of John Kennedy. I was 7 years old and I remember my second grade teacher coming into the classroom after lunch crying. They closed the school for the day. I certainly wasn't sad, given my age and not really comprehending what happened. But this was certainly the first memory I have of an important historical event.
It is a relationship where the Governor has their issues and the Legislature has their own. It is a give and take relationship that essentially needs to find its balance in order for the system/process to work.
The biggest acute issue is housing. Whether in our cities or in our rural communities lack of affordable housing is the most pressing issue. To make matters worse, the fastest growing population among the homeless are seniors, people living in a fixed income who have to choose between housing or food/medicine.

The other primary challenge facing Oregon with its vast forests and surface water is climate change. There is strong evidence that it is happening faster than imagined. This is both a problem and an opportunity for us. Since Oregon lost so much of its timber revenue, we need to think creatively how we can use or forests as carbon sinks and monetize the value therefrom.

The climate issue is also a factor that has strong resistance that needs to be addressed, given Oregon's long history of clear-cut logging. many want to return to those times, but we are now experiencing the long-term effects of clear cutting. Sustainable forestry is possible and can reduce the fire risk while also generating some economic activity.
I don't think it matters. In fact it may actually be a hinderance. I have often in my career gone against the 'experts' with better results. We all tend to become less open to new ideas the longer we are in a position. It is human nature to keep the status quo and not "rock the boat" resulting in less effective representation.

That said, I do believe that it is important to understand the dynamics of political processes and how to get things done.
Absolutely. Cooperation, negotiation and compromise are all essential feature of an effective legislature. It takes teams of people to make things happen and with limited resources it is essential that legislators come together and work out how to get the best for all concerned.

Even in my campaign I say I work to build bridges that connect us and break down the walls that divide us. This is a critical tenet of any cooperative situation.
I would say Lincoln or Eisenhower, both of whom were Republicans, but were also individuals who faced serious challenges in tier times and were able to navigate paths through them. In the case of Lincoln, he was not a popular president, but when you read his letters, his ability to change minds was unparalleled.

As for Eisenhower, here was a warrior who understood the value of separating the 'enemy' from the person. He was a true statesman who was open about his concern for the path our country was on in terms of our growing military spending. A lesson we have yet to learn.
I would introduce a bill to support a model I have been developing to create small tiny home communities, based on some models developed in Denmark and Norway. This would provide the catalyst I mentioned previously. It would require the buy in from County and City governments as well, but would offer then an incentive for participating.
I have been endorsed by the 314 Action commitee, focused on STEM education. and am in the process with several others.
Education, because we nee dot ensure that our educational system is robust and not creating generations of children unprepared for the realities of a global economy.

Healthcare because Oregon is leading the charge to create a healthcare for all system and my 35 years of healthcare experience can offer global perspective on what works elsewhere in the world.

Finally the Housing and Development Committee sine it addresses the largest acute human crisis issue we are facig int he district.
I believe the government should be fully transparent and accoutnable. This is certainly easier at the State level than the Federal level where black ops and skunk work operations never see the light of day. It is the people’s money and they should know how it is being spent.

Regarding accountability, unless there is fraud, graft or other illegal activities the people have the right to vote out their representative at the next election, so to a degree accountability is already built into the system.

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.


Tracy Thompson campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Oregon State Senate District 2Lost general$915 $415
Grand total$915 $415
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal 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

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 21, 2024


Current members of the Oregon State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Rob Wagner
Majority Leader:Kayse Jama
Minority Leader:Daniel Bonham
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
Mark Meek (D)
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
Todd Nash (R)
District 30
Democratic Party (18)
Republican Party (12)