Oregon Governor Race: Republican Primary Field Grows Again

ALSEA, OR — Marc Thielman stepped down Tuesday night as superintendent of the Alsea School District and Wednesday morning announced that he's running for governor. Thielman joins a Republican field that's already crowded with people on the right.

As superintendent, Thielman presided over the district's decision in January to make masks optional for students, giving the parents the choice over whether the children would wear them. The only time students would be required to wear masks was while on the bus.

The decision went against state law. As a result, Oregon Department of Education director Colt Gill gave the district until the end of the month to respond or lose state funding.

The district didn't respond.

In his announcement on Wednesday, Thielman referenced the controversy as part of the reason he is running.

"We endeavored to FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM to educate our children in person under local control and restore the right of students and parents to make their own decisions regarding masking," he posted on Facebook.

"Little did anyone know that this reasonable action would shake the very foundation of the Oregon state government and spark a Mask Optional Movement that inspired whole communities and garnered national attention."

He said that the "woke mob" has a "need for total control of your life."

The controversy over masks is just one problem facing Thielman. The Corvallis Gazette Times reported that three complaints were filed with the school district alleging Thielman created a hostile work environment.

Thielman is now one of 26 Republicans who have filed for the primary.

Last week, former Oregon Republican Party chairmanBob Tiernan from Lake Oswego threw his hat in the thing.

With about $1 million on hand, Tiernan entered the field in a strong position to establish himself as a contender. Only Christine Drazan, who stepped down from the House to focus on her run and has already raised more than $1.2 million has deeper pockets.

Also running on the Republican side are anti-tax champion Bill Sizemore, Bridget Barton, a political consultant, Kerry Mcquisten, the mayor of Baker City, Bud Pierce, the oncologist from Salem who had the nomination and lost in 2016, and Stan Pulliam, the mayor of Sandy.

Pulliam may have been hurt by revelations recently that before he was in office, he and his wife had been involved in "swinging," trying to have hook-ups with other couples.

On the Democratic side, things tightened up last week when the Oregon Supreme Court upheld a decision tossing Nick Kristof from the ballot. That leaves State Treasurer Tobias Read and former House Speaker Tina Kotek.