State Rep. Kim Thatcher
Photo courtesy of the Oregon Legislature

Upset over his vote in support of Measure 30, at the time the largest tax increase in state history, Republican voters rejected Rep. Vic Backlund's 2004 bid for re-election and nominated an unknown businesswoman and self-described activist. Kim Thatcher went on to easily win election to what many say is a safe Republican seat. Rep. Kim Thatcher has proven herself to be as perfect a match to the district as can be found in Oregon. Apparently this perception has prompted the Democrats to put up only token opposition in 2006 and 2010; in 2008 they failed to recruit any candidate. In a somewhat bizarre twist, in 2012, Democrat party leaders, following the election of candidate in the primary, ditched that candidate in favor of the opponent. Rep. Thatcher easily won re-election.

Her impact on the Legislature was immediate, gaining appointments to both the House Elections Rules and Ethics and Judiciary committees as a freshman in 2005. In 2007 she sat on the House Government Accountability and Information Technology Committee which led to the work for which she is best known — spearheading the development and launch of the Oregon Transparency in Government web site. She is a tireless advocate for reducing the size and scope of government.

For the 2013 session, Rep. Thatcher will join fellow Marion County Republican Representatives Bill Kennemer and Jim Thompson on the Business and Labor Committee. She will join Rep. Cameron on the Land Use Committee. She will also parlay her experience on the Transparency in Government effort into policy as she joins the Consumer Protection and Government Efficiency Committee.

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