Hot race: Buehler, Wilhelm seek open Bend House seat

There’s only weeks to go, no incumbent and, as the ads show, the claws are coming out.

Soon you’ll decide who takes Bend’s open seat in the House of Representatives. Either republican orthopedic surgeon Doctor Knute Buehler or democratic combat veteran and small business owner Craig Wilhelm.

“Bend has challenges and we need someone who knows how to lead in tough times,” Wilhelm said recently.

While Wilhelm relies on his experience as a military leader, Buehler talks about his longevity in Bend.

“I have deep connections to the community my opponent just doesn’t have,” Buehler said.

Both candidates told NewsChannel 21 that local jobs and the economy are their biggest legislative priorities. Each has outlined plans aimed at cutting red tape, developing a skilled workforce and providing incentive and funding to small businesses.

“What we want in Bend is to grow our spirit of entrepreneurship,” Buehler said. “One way to do that is to really have a quality four-year university here, to make sure OSU-Cascades is built out to its full completion.”

Wilhelm said as a small business owner, he can appreciate their needs and concerns.

“Making sure our small businesses have access to capitol, by doing that you allow them to grow faster and have good-paying jobs,” Wilhelm said.

One major difference between the candidates is where they stand on Oregon’s Open Primary proposal — Measure 90 — an initiative aimed at restructuring how voters select candidates, sending the top two vote-getters in the primary to the fall ballot, regardless of party affiliation.

“Right now, over 30 percent of Oregonians can’t participate in the primary election just because they’re not registered in one of the two established parties,” Buehler said. “And I think that’s just not fair. We need to have more access to the ballot.”

But Wilhelm said: “I’m all for access for voters. Where I see this measure fails is the way that’s it’s written, it actually increases the time of our primary system, which injects more money into the primaries — because that’s what we don’t want.”

Then there’s those attack ads circulating on TV.

“Bend does not want to see somebody being attacked personally, and that’s what disappointing about those ads,” Wilhelm said, talking about the ad featuring him as a silly caricature.

Buehler said his campaign up with the ad called “Lousy Record” because one’s background should speak louder than a campaign slogan.

“I don’t really see it as an attack ad. It’s just bringing out the transparency of someone’s background,” Buehler said.

In the ad, Buehler claims Wilhelm has paid his property taxes late, chose to register his business outside of Oregon and skipped crucial voting opportunities.

According to local and state documents, the claims are true.

Here’s Wilhelm’s response:

“They’re categorically false. I paid my taxes, and my business was registered in Washington state, but I did not chose to do that. The higher business was already in Washington state, so therefore it seemed natural to have it incorporated there,” Wilhelm said.

Wilhelm also addressed his voting record.

“I did not vote in all of the elections, but my opponent did not either,” he said. “The first part of my stay here, I was traveling quite a bit. That’s not an excuse, but it is the truth, and I take full responsibility for it.”

NewsChannel 21 source-checked Wilhelm’s counter-claim that Buehler has also skipped votes and found it truthful. County records show Buehler did not cast a ballot in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Wilhelm is also running an ad that mentions his opponent when he says, “My opponent, Knute Buehler, is a nice guy, but too often politicians try too hard to agree with everyone, and that’s not what Bend needs.”

NewsChannel 21 gave Buehler the opportunity to respond to the ad’s suggestion that he has not taken a clear stance on women’s issues.

“I’ve been pro-choice all my life. You’ll never find any other statement out there other than that,” Buehler said. “We’ve handed out nearly 20,000 pieces of campaign literature saying I’m pro choice. I have leading Democrats in the community saying pro choice.”

Now it’s your turn to decide. Ballots have already been mailed out. They are due by 8 p.m. November 4th. If you decide to mail in your ballot make sure you send it no later than October 30th.