Two Republicans are competing for the Klamath County Senate district currently held by Republican Sen. Dennis Linthicum: Linthicum鈥檚 wife and a Klamath County commissioner.
No Democrats are seeking the seat in the heavily Republican 28th District, which stretches from the California border to central Oregon just south of Bend and includes all of Klamath County and parts of Deschutes and Jackson counties. That means the primary winner will replace Linthicum, who is disqualified from rerunning because of his participation in the 2023 GOP-led Senate walkout. He鈥檚 running for instead.
His wife, Diane Linthicum, has obvious name recognition but so does her opponent, Dave Henslee, who鈥檚 a former police chief in Klamath Falls and currently serves on the county commission.
Here鈥檚 a look at the two candidates:
Dave Henslee
Name: Dave Henslee
Party: Republican
Age: 53
Residence: Merrill
Current occupation: Klamath County commissioner, rancher, former police chief
Education: Bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science, Oregon State University, 1993.
Prior elected experience: Klamath County commissioner, elected in 2022
Family status: Married, three adult children
Fundraising: $34,857 raised as of April 23.
Cash on hand: $28,271 as of April 23.
In an interview, Henslee said he would bring a long record of public service and a willingness to work with others to find solutions.
He had a nearly 28-year career in law enforcement, most of it at the Corvallis Police Department, where he was a police officer for 22 years, rising to the rank of captain. In 2015, he became the chief of police in Klamath Falls before his retirement from law enforcement in 2021. The next year, he was elected to a two-year term as a Klamath County commissioner.
Henslee said public safety would be a priority if he were elected, including addressing the state鈥檚 drug addiction crisis. As a senator, Henslee said he would want to build upon , which will create a new misdemeanor in September for low-level drug possession while trying to steer drug users toward addiction treatment instead of jail. Lawmakers passed the bill this session in response to the fentanyl epidemic.
That bill made funding available for counties that opt to start programs for drug users, all without court charges or jail time. So far, 23 of Oregon鈥檚 36 counties have agreed to set up the programs, including Henslee鈥檚 Klamath County. If elected, Henslee said he would look for long-term funding for the programs so they don鈥檛 turn into an unfunded mandate for counties.
鈥淚鈥檓 on board, it鈥檚 going to be great, and it鈥檚 going to provide access to recovery or treatment for recovery of citizens,鈥� Henslee said. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 the long term sustainable funding plan for that?鈥�
He said lawmakers should respond to any improvements in fatal overdoses with funding that treatment providers can rely upon.
鈥淚f we see a decrease in deaths of Oregonians from drug use, and we see an increase in availability and access to treatment, then I鈥檓 going to want to push really hard to continue that momentum to provide that resource to Oregonians,鈥� Henslee said.
Henslee was among a group of law enforcement officials, district attorneys and others in the National Association of Counties and the Association of Oregon Counties鈥� public safety committee, which he co-chairs, who lobbied lawmakers in recent months to unwind Measure 110 and recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs .
Henslee said he is proud of that effort.
鈥淲e need to do a little more work to make sure that people not only have access to treatment, but people are going to treatment and have opportunities to be successful through treatment in their recovery,鈥� he said.
Henslee said it鈥檚 important for communities to have flexibility as they build out programs to treat people and keep them out of jail. What works in one community may not work in another, he said.
Other issues are on Henslee鈥檚 radar too, like the economy and natural resources.
For example, Henslee said, the state needs policies with more flexibility to allow more but responsible logging to thin out forests and reduce the devastation from wildfires that are expected to become increasingly frequent with climate change.
鈥淚 really think that we need to be focusing on policy that allows us to use our natural resources in a way that protects them for future generations, but also benefits the current generation, and I think sometimes we鈥檙e failing to do that,鈥� he said.
Henslee, as one of three commissioners, played a key role in helping to craft the county鈥檚 by working with residents and county employees. The plan sets the counties鈥� priorities through 2028, calling for a focus on the economy, public safety, housing, recreation and government.
Henslee said when he took office in 2022, he found out that the county didn鈥檛 have one.
鈥淚 walked into my office, and I said to staff, 鈥楬ey, where can I find the county strategic plan?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淎nd they said, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 have one.鈥欌��
In response, Henslee led an effort to develop one, saying it鈥檚 good for officials to have so they know what direction the county is headed and the community鈥檚 expectations when they make decisions.
The county hired a consulting firm, setting up a committee and getting input from nearly 1,300 community members, Henslee said. He served as the liaison between the committee and the county commissioners.
鈥淚 prioritized developing that strategic plan based heavily on the needs and expectations of our community,鈥� Henslee said.
Henslee said he鈥檚 not an expert in every topic that comes up in the Legislature but said he鈥檚 humble enough to ask questions and educate himself before making decisions.
Henslee said he would work in a collaborative way in a Democrat-dominated Legislature, even when others have different opinions. Regardless of what one鈥檚 opinion is, Henslee said, everyone deserves to be heard and respected with open and transparent debate.
鈥淎ll of us come to any topic with a different opinion,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 like to hear what those different opinions are because I think it opens our minds and broadens our horizons when we listen to each other and we have differences. And I鈥檓 going to approach Salem with an open mind. I鈥檓 going to listen to the differences.鈥�
Diane Linthicum
Name: Diane Linthicum
Party: Republican
Age: Unavailable
Residence: Beatty
Education: Studied business at Orange Coast College and Rio Hondo College, both in California
Current occupation: rancher and legislative chief of staff for Sen. Dennis Linthicum
Prior elected experience: None.
Family status: Married, two grown children
Fundraising: $35,119 raised as of April 23.
Cash on hand: $11,761 as of April 23
Linthicum, whose husband has endorsed her, didn鈥檛 respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking an interview.
She has served as chief of staff in her husband鈥檚 Senate office and also worked as a rancher. In her statement in the state鈥檚 voters guide, Linthicum said she鈥檚 committed to rural values and liberty without government interference.
鈥淪pecial interests and heavy-handed bureaucracies are creating social turmoil for families and businesses while destroying our natural resource economy,鈥� her statement said. 鈥淔armers, ranchers, water-right holders, (agriculture) producers, foresters and main street businesses are quickly losing their ability to manage their interests.鈥�
Lithicum also said she will 鈥渙ppose needless intrusion and regulation by Salem Democrats.鈥�
Her priorities listed in the voters guide include advocating for 鈥渁ge-appropriate鈥� education materials and school choice, which means using public money for education beyond the local public option.
She supports in-person voting and overturning Oregon鈥檚 sanctuary law that prevents state and local law enforcement from helping federal authorities crack down on undocumented immigrants.
She also opposes abortion and has garnered support from Oregon Right to Life PAC.
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