Bend councilor Boddie to run for Buehler’s House seat

(Update: Adding Boddie comment on whether he’d run for council again)

Bend City Councilor Nathan Boddie announced Wednesday he will run for the Democratic nomination for the Oregon House seat held by Republican Knute Buehler, who will be running for governor next year.

Boddie was elected to the council in November 2014. Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship said if Boddie does not win the Democratic nomination for the House seat next spring, he could still run for another council term in November.

“That’s a decision for down the road,” Boddie told NewsChannel 21. “Although it would be allowed, I’m planning on winning both the primary and general elections.”

Here’s Boddie’s full news release:

Dr. Nathan Boddie, local primary care physician and Bend City Councilor, announced his candidacy to represent Bend in the Oregon State House today.

“For too long, the people of Bend have lacked a strong voice in Salem. I’m excited to bring the issues I’ve fought for on council to the state level and represent the hard-working men and women who make our community exceptional,” said Boddie about his candidacy as a Democrat for House District 54. “We need to make Bend affordable for everyone who lives and works here — in housing, health care, and cost of living — and better fund our schools, put more teachers in our classrooms, and make college more affordable.

Since joining the Bend City Council in 2014, Dr. Boddie has led policy efforts to increase affordable housing and helped strategically expand Bend’s urban growth boundary while protecting our natural environment, providing more buildable land, preventing urban sprawl and improving transportation and new infrastructure throughout Bend. He championed changes to better regulate vacation rental properties and provide renter protections so residents aren’t forced to move away from Bend while we address our housing crisis.

“Now more than ever, we need to be smart about how Bend grows. The cost of unrestrained growth is being paid for by current Bend residents and will have a lasting impact on our quality of life if we don’t tackle these issues intelligently,” noted Dr. Boddie.

Prior to medical training, Dr. Boddie earned a graduate degree in environmental science and was a whitewater river guide and ski patroller. He has worked in urban planning, watershed management, and health policy. He sits on the boards of the Deschutes River Conservancy and Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. He has championed women’s health care and reproductive rights and supports Planned Parenthood. When he’s not working on behalf of his patients at the clinic or serving the residents of Bend, you can find him on the trails, rivers, and mountains that make Bend so special.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve the people of Bend on City Council, and I’m eager to represent all our residents at the state level next year in Salem. Until then, I’ll be continuing my work at the clinic on behalf of my patients and on City Council, and I look forward to earning the votes of my fellow residents again,” concluded Dr. Boddie.

House District 54 represents Bend in the Oregon State Legislature. To learn more about Dr. Boddie and join the campaign, visit:

facebook.com/boddieforbend/

twitter.com/BoddieForBend