91ÊÓƵ

The idea of running for state representative from first arose in a conversation she had in summer 2007 with Dave Hunt, Oregon's House majority leader at the time.

But Adamson's interest in politics actually took root during her childhood years in Linn County. She became acquainted with Mae Yih, a longtime state representative who Adamson described as tough, highly committed to her constituents and a moderate who worked across party lines.

Adamson, in her first campaign for public office, said her goal was to move beyond political partisanship to, among other things, strengthen Oregon's economy and public education system, make health care more affordable, reduce government waste and streamline regulations for small businesses.

Earlier this month, Adamson lost her bid for the House seat to Republican Matt Wingard. During an interview in the wake of that hard-fought campaign, Adamson – who took a leave as public affairs director for the to run for office and expects to return to the trade group – said she is "preserving her options" regarding a future in elective politics.

For now, the Sherwood resident said she is taking some time off to be with her family and plans to stay engaged in community issues. She reflected on the campaign, and the issues critical to Oregon's future. Her responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

91ÊÓƵ: What inspired you to run for public office?

Jessica Adamson: I really felt strongly that in these tough times we need a Legislature experienced and committed to working across party lines. Harry Truman once said, "It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit." I believe that wholeheartedly. The economy, infrastructure needs, health care costs are out of control – those are not Republican or Democratic issues; they are Oregon issues. I was honored to be asked to run and felt that this was an opportunity to put what I feel passionately about to work for the economy and the community.

Next to raising my kids, it was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. It tests your physical endurance, and it tests your heart. You become emotionally connected to people whose stories you hear and learn. There are people who made one phone call for me, knocked on a door for me, wrote a check; it is so humbling to have folks willing to work with you for a common vision for a better Oregon.

91ÊÓƵ: The race appeared to be going your way. Looking back, why did your campaign fall short?

Adamson: We went to sleep on election night believing we won this race and woke up and we were down. This was a race that two weeks out had a large number of undecided voters, though polling showed us ahead. Late voters broke in my opponent's direction.
That is the thing about democracy: You make the best case you can … and voters make their decision. We are proud of the race we ran. There isn't a whole lot I would have done differently. It was us working every single day, working hard for a very long time … and coming closer than anyone (in the Democratic Party) has come in this district in 20 years.

91ÊÓƵ: What are your plans? And do you foresee another run at public office?
Adamson: Right now, my plan is to take some time to breathe and enjoy my family and kids. I am just way too close to the end of this very tough campaign to make a decision (about running for office again). As I am telling people, I'm not making any decisions, but I am preserving options. I will stay engaged in public service, in some way.
91ÊÓƵ: What are the steps you believe need to be taken to help strengthen Oregon's economy?

Adamson: A stronger focus on the same principles. We have to make sure small businesses can grow here. We need to streamline the regulatory process to move forward on traditional and new energy sources. We also have to be creative in how we take advantage of industries here. We have to make sure we have policies that will help grow and create spin-offs in the solar industry, and we need to do that with biotech. We also need to think creatively about higher education and how we position ourselves to attract top talent to help grow our emerging industries.

We have transportation and infrastructure challenges. To address them, we can create immediate jobs in construction and create economic growth over the long term. Companies can't expand if they can't bring their products to market. Without infrastructure, (we) can't catch up and get ahead of the curve.

We also need to make sure employers can help keep up with the cost of health care, one of the fastest-growing expenses companies deal with. We need to get our arms around how we stabilize the system. With real challenges come real opportunities. That is something I am confident this next Legislature is going to work hard to do, and the business community needs to be a vocal and productive part of those conversations.