The concrete disagreement is data centers: one candidate would allow no new ones, the other would leave the decision to local communities. Both back more housing and wildfire prevention, but differ on the state tools and fiscal limits they favor.
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.
Emphasizes economic growth, local control of data centers, housing supply and the financial limits of state services.
Would cut regulations raising home prices and examine subsidized construction costs.
Supports resources for law enforcement and local emergency responders.
Wants results from existing spending rather than higher taxes.
Would maintain rural roads, water and sewer; opposes a data-center moratorium.
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 52 candidate · Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026
Hank Sanders
Former reporter and Oregon Senate staff member.
Photo: Campaign photo · hankfororegon.com
In their words
Said: Hank Sanders learned at a young age that there are people and corporations that stand to gain from destroying rural Oregon.
Voters’ pamphlet
Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; extracted September 21, 2026
First complete sentence of the filed statement; header fields and the slogan line “Fighting corruption. Fighting for our future.” 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
Proposes targeted state programs to lower rural costs and stronger restrictions on data centers.
Oppose new data centers and tax breaks; disclose resource use and benefits.
Create a home-hardening strike team for wildfire prevention.
Offer $5,000 rural childcare-worker tax credits and Medicaid paperwork support.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
No new data centers
Targeted programs
New programs and targeted credits aimed at specific rural cost pressures, plus a hard line on data centers; the claimed savings and insurance effects need evidence and cost estimates.
Said: Keep housing affordable by lowering what homeowners pay, starting with wildfire home-hardening to bring down insurance costs.
How
Said: Institute Oregon’s first home-hardening team to teach rural families defensible space, ladder fuels and vent coverings.
Measured by
Said: Points to insurance-rate decreases after similar programs in California and Colorado, against home-insurance increases he puts at 30–40% a year.
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
End data-center breaks
What
Said: No more data-center tax breaks and full disclosure of what they use and provide; tax credits of up to $5,000 for rural childcare workers to cut families’ costs.
How
Said: Sponsor tax credits worth up to $5,000 for rural childcare workers, modeled on the Rural Practitioner Tax Credit; end tax breaks and non-disclosure agreements for data centers.
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Roads, transit and climate
No new data centers
What
Said: No new data centers, and far more state spending on wildfire prevention, including a home-hardening strike team for rural families.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
Said: Says Oregon should spend 10 to 20 times more on fire prevention.
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 8 questions. Hank Sanders is on record on 2, with 6 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.
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.
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.
On record
Make data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?
Said: Will not support any new data centers; would end their tax breaks and NDAs and require clarity on what they use and provide, calling $50 million and $100 million tax breaks unfair.
Spend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?
Said: Says Oregon should spend 10 to 20 times more on fire prevention and would create a home-hardening team to lower insurance costs.
Sanders · issuesCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Sanders · no new data centersCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Sanders · reduce wildfire risks and costsCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Sanders · childcare tax creditsCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Sanders · 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 265Candidate 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 52 candidate · Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026
Scott C Hege
Wasco County commissioner and former Port of The Dalles executive director.
Photo: Campaign photo · hegefororegon.com
In their words
Said: My wife Betsy and I have called The Dalles home for 30+ years.
Voters’ pamphlet
Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 state voters’ pamphlet; extracted September 21, 2026
First sentence of the filed statement; header fields 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
Emphasizes economic growth, local control of data centers, housing supply and the financial limits of state services.
Oppose a statewide data-center moratorium while improving resource-use transparency.
Examine housing regulations, procurement and construction costs.
Invest in forest treatment and fire response; protect rural care while reviewing sustainable benefits.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
Local control
Cost scrutiny
Local discretion over data centers and a hard look at why publicly subsidized housing costs more, rather than a statewide pause or new spending; his account of data-center benefits is not an independent audit.
Said: More supply through fewer unnecessary regulations and costs, and an examination of why publicly supported construction costs so much more than private projects.
How
Said: Examine urban growth boundaries, zoning, construction regulations, procurement and prevailing-wage costs to learn why subsidized units cost more.
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Crime, drugs and who responds
Police and responders
What
Said: Give law enforcement the resources and tools to protect communities, and give local responders the equipment and flexibility to handle wildfires, floods and other emergencies.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Taxes, the kicker and the budget
Results before taxes
What
Said: Stop relying on higher taxes; prioritize essential services, eliminate waste and make sure taxpayer dollars deliver results.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Roads, transit and climate
Local data-center choice
What
Said: Maintain existing roads and bridges and fix rural water and sewer systems through state infrastructure programs; opposes a statewide data-center moratorium in favor of local decisions with resource-use transparency.
How
Said: Focus state infrastructure programs and funding on the most critical needs with fair rural access; leave data-center decisions to local communities with public information on resource use.
Measured by
— Not in their sources
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 8 questions. Scott C Hege is on record on 4, with 4 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.
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.
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.
On record
Vote for a 2027 transportation package that raises the gas tax and vehicle fees again?
Said: Wants state infrastructure programs focused on maintaining existing roads and bridges with fair rural access; he does not say whether he would raise the gas tax or fees.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Close the 2027–29 budget gap with new revenue, or with cuts alone?
Said: Says Oregon should stop relying on higher taxes and take a hard look at how government spends the money it already has, prioritizing essential services and eliminating waste.
Make data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?
Said: Opposes a statewide moratorium and says local communities should decide; told Columbia Community Connection that water-use secrecy damaged trust and The Dalles does not need more data centers.
Spend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?
Said: Told Columbia Community Connection that investing far more in initial attack and forest treatment can avoid enormously expensive fires; backs prescribed burning and says homeowners must harden their own homes.
Hege · prioritiesCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Hege · aboutCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Hege · 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.
Oregon Secretary of State · filed candidate statement · PDF page 267Candidate 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.
