One candidate leads with public education, infrastructure, civil rights and housing investment; the other with implementation, fiscal discipline and measurable results. His fuller brief is still open, so compare what each has actually published.
Draft; human review pending.
Key
Said
A campaign statement, in our summary or their words.
Voted
A recorded Council roll call.
— Not found
Not in the sources we reviewed. A research gap, not a position.
He runs on making state policy work in practice: careful use of public money, measurable results, and adjusting programs that are not working, drawn from local housing and public-safety administration.
—not found in the sources we reviewed
—not found in the sources we reviewed
Wants public money tied to measurable results, transparency and scrutiny.
Supports school investment, housing production, public transportation and environmental and reproductive protections.
Supports major state investment in housing production and homeownership pathways.
Supports ICE and police accountability, civil-rights protections and gun-safety laws.
Supports the Earned Income Tax Credit; opposes data centers shifting energy costs.
Supports transit, bike-pedestrian facilities, road maintenance and a new Columbia bridge.
Summaries are our one-line readings of what each candidate says. Issue lines are short forms of the positions in each brief, AI-drafted and awaiting human review; “—” means not found in the sources we reviewed.
Four votes that split this Council
No candidate in this race sits on Council today.
— Not foundNo featured votes are selected for this race yet.
Candidate briefs, A–Z
House · District 29 candidate · Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026
Brian Schimmel
Qualified general-election candidate
City councilor; Republican and Independent nominee with a campaign site and a filed statement.
Photo: Campaign photo · brianschimmel.org
In their words
Said: Government should work as well as the people it serves. As a Councilor, I see firsthand where state policy impacts people’s lives—and where implementation, funding, and local realities do not align.
Voters’ pamphlet
Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; extracted September 21, 2026
First two sentences of the filed statement (the first is under 12 words); header fields, including a Community & Professional Experience line, are skipped.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our words
He runs on making state policy work in practice: careful use of public money, measurable results, and adjusting programs that are not working, drawn from local housing and public-safety administration.
Use public resources carefully and require measurable results.
Align state policy with local implementation and funding realities.
Adjust or end programs that are not working.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
Implementation
Fiscal discipline
He runs on making state policy work in practice (funding, coordination, measurable results) from housing and public-safety administration experience; his site lists platform headings without positions, so most issues stay open.
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Crime, drugs and who responds
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Taxes, the kicker and the budget
Measurable results
What
Said: Public resources should be used carefully and produce measurable results, with transparency, oversight and a willingness to adjust programs that are not working.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Roads, transit and climate
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 8 questions. Brian Schimmel is on record on 0, with 8 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
No answer we could find
Vote for a 2027 transportation package that raises the gas tax and vehicle fees again?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Let the state keep part of a future kicker refund for wildfire or other one-time needs?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Close the 2027–29 budget gap with new revenue, or with cuts alone?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Make data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep paying for state-funded shelter beds and the homelessness emergency after June 2027?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep the 2024 approach of recriminalized possession plus county deflection programs, and fund them in 2027–29?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Spend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep adding state limits on federal immigration enforcement, on top of Oregon's sanctuary law?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Schimmel · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection surveyCandidate statement · 2026 survey; reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified. The candidate's own written answers, hosted by the questionnaire's publisher.
Schimmel · campaign siteCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified. The platform section lists six headings (education, housing, local economy, infrastructure, land stewardship, civil liberties and public safety) without policy text.
Schimmel · aboutCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Oregon Secretary of State · filed candidate statement · PDF page 190Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; PDF printed September 9, 2026; reviewed September 21, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign for the state voters’ pamphlet, which is not published until September 29, 2026.
House · District 29 candidate · Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026
Susan McLain
Incumbent representative, former teacher and Metro councilor.
Photo: Campaign photo · susanmclain.org
In their words
Said: Representative Susan McLain spent 42 years teaching students and raising her family in our community.
Voters’ pamphlet
Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; extracted September 21, 2026
First sentence of the filed statement; two heading lines are skipped.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our words
Supports school investment, housing production, public transportation and environmental and reproductive protections.
Invest in schools and pathways to homeownership.
Improve roads, transit and walking and cycling infrastructure; replace the Interstate Bridge.
Protect working lands and prevent data-center energy costs from shifting to residents.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
Public education
Infrastructure
Large infrastructure commitments (a new Columbia River bridge, transit, road maintenance) alongside conservation, schools and tax credits; funding and cost-overrun risk remain the central questions.
Said: Major state investment in housing production to bring prices down, and accessible pathways to homeownership.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Crime, drugs and who responds
ICE, police accountability
What
Said: Hold ICE and law-enforcement agents accountable, strengthen civil-rights protections and support gun-safety laws.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Taxes, the kicker and the budget
Earned Income Tax Credit
What
Said: Lower taxes for low- and moderate-income families through the Earned Income Tax Credit, and stop data centers from passing energy costs to consumers.
How
Said: Voted for the largest Earned Income Tax Credit increase in state history and sponsored a bill banning data centers from passing energy costs to consumers.
Measured by
Said: Says the credit increase lowered taxes for more than 200,000 low- and moderate-income families.
Roads, transit and climate
Transit and new bridge
What
Said: More public transit, bike and pedestrian facilities, safety improvements and road maintenance; a new earthquake-ready Columbia River bridge; protect farmland, clean air and water.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 8 questions. Susan McLain is on record on 7, with 1 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
No answer we could find
Let the state keep part of a future kicker refund for wildfire or other one-time needs?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
On record
Vote for a 2027 transportation package that raises the gas tax and vehicle fees again?
Said: Carried HB 3991 on the House floor and voted yes on September 1, 2025; her site backs transit, road maintenance and a new earthquake-ready Columbia River bridge.
Close the 2027–29 budget gap with new revenue, or with cuts alone?
Said: Voted yes on SB 1507 on February 25, 2026; her site says she voted for the largest Earned Income Tax Credit increase in state history.
Make data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?
Said: Voted yes on HB 3546 on April 22 and June 5, 2025, and sponsored a bill banning data centers from passing energy costs to consumers.
Keep paying for state-funded shelter beds and the homelessness emergency after June 2027?
Said: Voted yes on HB 3644 on June 23, 2025, the bill creating the statewide shelter program.
Keep the 2024 approach of recriminalized possession plus county deflection programs, and fund them in 2027–29?
Said: Voted yes on HB 4002 on February 29, 2024, which recriminalized possession and created county deflection programs.
Spend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?
Said: Voted yes on HB 3940 on June 23, 2025, the bill that taxes oral nicotine, raises the timber harvest tax and moves Rainy Day Fund interest to wildfire funds.
Keep adding state limits on federal immigration enforcement, on top of Oregon's sanctuary law?
Said: Voted yes on HB 4138 on February 24 and March 6, 2026; her site says she fought this year to hold ICE and law-enforcement agents accountable.
McLain · Susan’s StoryCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Oregon Secretary of State · filed candidate statement · PDF page 192Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; PDF printed September 9, 2026; reviewed September 21, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign for the state voters’ pamphlet, which is not published until September 29, 2026.
