Bend businessman Carpenter launches bid to unseat Wyden

Bend businessman Sam Carpenter announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Thursday as the Republican seeks the party nomination to unseat longtime incumbent Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

In a news release announcing the campaign, the “telecommunications executive and business turnaround specialist” said he founded Centratel, a private 9-1-1 call center 31 years ago in Bend, and also operates several small firms related to business rescue.

Carpenter announced in 2013 he intended to run for Sen. Jeff Merkley’s seat, but later withdrew from the race. The Oregon primary election is on Tuesday, May 17.

“D.C. has ignored Oregon’s interests for far too long,” Carpenter said, “and it’s time for a new kind of senator from Oregon, one who will not play Washington politics; one who will assertively put Oregonians first.”

“I’m a political outsider, jobs producer, and turnaround expert,” he continued, “which is exactly what D.C. needs, and now is the right time for Oregonians to assert control of the future, rather than leaving it up to out-of-touch career politicians 3,000 miles away.”

“I’m running because Oregon needs a leader with real-world experience — from creating Oregon jobs, to cleaning up our forests and revitalizing the forest-products industry, to tackling the national challenges of immigration, debt, and healthcare,” Carpenter said.

“Entrenched, career politicians in Washington, D.C., are the common thread in our nation’s sad state of affairs, from the floundering economy to our precarious national security, to the disease and fire devastation visited on Oregon’s forests due to non-management. Ron Wyden has lost touch with the people of Oregon whom he represents. We need real-world change and we need it today.”

“We’ve assembled a principled team of hard working, forward thinkers to lead our campaign to victory,” said Carpenter. “We hope you’ll join us as we upend the status quo.We’re going to put Oregon back to work.”

Sam Carpenter is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Oregon. Sam is a successful entrepreneur, author, CEO, and business consultant with a specialty in rehabilitating and turning around dysfunctional companies.

More information at: http://www.carpenterforsenate.com/