I’ve taken the liberty to copy/paste some the article below. His contact info is: 503-986-1432 or Rep.CyrusJavadi@oregonlegislature.gov.
Gene Dieken
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Why Switch?
After long talks with my family, trusted advisors, and many of you, I’ve made my decision: Yes, I’m switching to the Democratic Party.
Not because Democrats are perfect, they’re not. But they’re acting like a governing party. They’re willing to debate ideas on the merits. To defend constitutional principles. To protect minority rights. To do the unglamorous, often thankless work of actually fixing things.
Time after time this past session, it was Democrats who stepped up to support the priorities of the coast, even though I wore the other team’s jersey. It didn’t matter to them. What mattered was whether the policy worked. Meanwhile, Republicans fought against those priorities, against the basic needs of our district. And somewhere along the way, it became clear this wasn’t just a bad season or a passing fever. The Republican Party had chosen a different direction, a different set of values.
By contrast, Democrats were the ones backing not only the needs of the North Coast but also the values I’ve always believed in.
Still, I’m the same person I’ve always been, a champion for Oregon and the North Coast. Does this mean I’ll only represent Democrats in my district or across the state? Absolutely not. I don’t care which party you belong to. I’m an Oregonian, and so are you. That’s enough. I’ll fight for your needs regardless of which bumper sticker is on your car or which flag you wave in your yard.
And my values haven’t changed. I still believe in limited government, free speech, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and the rule of law. I still believe your rights don’t come from the state but from something higher. But I also believe government has to work, not just posture.