Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman is making a run for the Oregon Senate, looking to unseat Republican Sen. Tim Knopp.
His broadmanforbend.com website was updated Monday night with a logo declaring “Broadman for Oregon Senate.”
Broadman has been on the city council since being elected in 2020. He told Central Oregon Daily News Monday night he’s excited to give the High Desert a seat at the table in some of the biggest decisions made in Salem.
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The election for Oregon’s 27th District seat is in Nov. 2024. Whether Knopp will be on that ballot is in question.
Oregon voters approved Measure 113 last November. That’s the measure to disqualify lawmakers with 10 or more unexcused absences from running for reelection.
During this year’s six-week boycott in the legislature, nine Republican senators — including Knopp — and one independent hit that 10 absence mark.
After Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade determined that those senators could not appear on the upcoming ballot due to Measure 113, Knopp and four other Republicans filed suit to have that decision overruled.
The senators who walked out say Measure 113 is flawed. While the public sector unions that pushed Measure 113 intended it to block absent lawmakers from running for their next term, the language says lawmakers with at least 10 unexcused absences cannot hold office “for the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.”
Since elections in Oregon are held before a lawmakers term is completed — not after — Republicans say the constitution plainly allows them to serve another term before penalties take effect.
Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade argued that it was clear what voters’ intent was — to prohibit legislators from holding office in the next immediate term.
When asked if Knopp can run again, Broadman said he’s leaving that to the courts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
