Get involved. Make your voice heard. And vote — because in Baker County, and in Oregon, your vote really does matter.

From Congressman Cliff Bentz’s “Bentz Briefing,” September 26, 2026:

Baker City Hospital has lost its obstetrics department, and rural obstetric units across the country are facing hardships and shutting down. That is why I have joined in co-sponsoring H.R. 1254, the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act.

If enacted, this bill would provide grants for obstetric care training, equipment, and telehealth programs for obstetrics units in rural areas and will authorize a study on rural maternity ward closures—such as is the case in Baker City.

The video on this page is the Congressman’s exchange with Dr. Eilean Attwood at the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee hearing on this bill, including his mention of Baker City.

Also from the briefing — Service Academy nominations: for those who wish to apply for Fall 2027 admission, the deadline is October 30, 2026, and applications will not reopen until May of next year. Information and applications: bentz.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations

PORTLAND, Ore. – Gubernatorial candidate Senator Christine Drazan (R-Canby) laid out her vision to turn around Oregon’s struggling economy and business climate after four years under Tina Kotek today before business leaders from across the state at a Portland gubernatorial candidate forum.

“Right now, we have a government that is holding people down and leadership that is holding people back. This is our chance in this election to choose better for the people of this state. Oregon has a storied history. We are pioneers. We are visionaries. We change the world. We have to remember who we are and fight for that future for the next generation,” said Senator Drazan.

The contrast couldn’t have been clearer. For nearly four years, Tina Kotek has been in the driver’s seat while tens of thousands of Oregonians have lost their jobs, bankruptcies surged to record highs, homelessness has grown by 35% and the state has plummeted to 42nd in the country for business competitiveness. She laid out no plan to turn any of it around. In fact, when asked to grade Oregon’s business climate, she gave it a “B.” All Tina Kotek could do in the forum was ask Oregonians to forget what she’s done over the last four years and beg them to instead believe what she’s going to say over the next four weeks.

“Who do we trust to fix what’s broken? Who do we believe can actually deliver? Tina Kotek wants you to ignore everything that’s happened over the last four years. We have got to hold our leaders to a higher standard. Oregonians deserve to have someone with a big vision for the future of this state. We cannot continue to go down this path of electing the same kinds of people over and over again and expecting a different result. The status quo is an absolute train wreck and we cannot give Tina Kotek another four years to ruin our state,” Drazan concluded.

— Released by the Christine Drazan campaign, September 24, 2026.

There IS Hope. Politics has and politicians have done a real disservice to the American voters over the past forty years. The early polling of candidate support, the perceived or actual ballot interference the media reports, and the vast swings (during the days of ballot counting after election day), have all contributed to the belief of many that their vote does not count. Then there are the election promises not to be kept with costs to citizens increasing year after year.

These are the issues in Oregon and other states that depress voter turnout. Again, this has been going on for many years, and it has become a habit to those who are fed up with the entire process. What occurs when disengaged Oregonians do not vote is that the best of candidates fail to be elected. A good number of our Governors and current legislators have won by slim margins. Therefore, if you have not voted, but complain about how Oregon is mismanaged, who is to blame? Yes, the elected are responsible but also the non-voters. The sheer numbers of non-engaged voters and unregistered-to-vote Oregonians are the difference for good governance to return to Salem.

The challenge to this election is to increase completed ballots, deposit them in the city and county drop boxes (not the USPS mail), and a broader, engaged number of citizens taking advantage of our freedom to elect true leadership.

Who will lift up Oregon and return us in a positive direction for the future? If you are not happy with Oregon’s sanctuary state status, riots in the streets of Portland, increasing crime, the poor results of our students, Oregon taxes/fees on most everything we rely upon, or the continuous loss of business and economical growth, get off your duffs!! Register to vote and then vote. Make a real difference.

Dan Johnson, Chair Baker County Republican Party