Transitions program coordinator, Stella Armstrong runs for District 50 representative seat

Stella Armstrong, running as a Republican for the Oregon House District 50 seat, is the Transitions program coordinator at MHCC. She’s taking on Independent candidate Michael Calcagno and incumbent Democrat Carla Piluso.

“I see (my campaign) as a call for a change toward excellent stewardship of Oregon’s resources – transparent, accountable and prudent spending of taxpayers’ money, fixing holes in the processes before thinking about raising taxes or fees,” Armstrong said.

“It is also about protecting our life resources, the unborn, the elderly, and the marginalized…Because I am an educator and a process analyst by experience, I would like very much to contribute as much as I can in helping raise the quality of education here in our state.”

Armstrong listed changes she would seek first. “We need to work right away in making sure that oversight, accountability, and transparency safeguards are put in place, especially in sectors that are negatively perceived, like education, transportation and health services. We also need to address our homelessness situation,” she said.

Her proposals include a pilot program called “Transitions for men,” a program to help homeless men in the Gresham area. She is also “exploring an excellence pathway for our students to raise their chances of transferring and being accepted to higher-ranked universities,” she said. “It will expose our students to excellent benchmarks and give us an accurate assessment of what we are doing right and what needs to be done.”

Armstrong hopes for a more collaborative effort to “honestly assess the way we address student needs” and create “feedback mechanisms that are collegial and constructive.”

Challenges she faces in her race include criticisms from other candidates. “Some ‘traditional’ politicians have tried to convince me to withdraw my candidacy because I do not have the financial resources… do not have political connections… do not have any political experience,” she said. “They said that decency and good character do not matter and do not guarantee winning the election. I think the challenge is these embedded structures and perceptions themselves.”

She said it’s time young voters, such as MHCC students, are given the chance to discern the difference “between a politician and a public servant, or a servant leader. I am not running for office because I want to be a politician and be in politics. I see it as an opportunity for me to live my values in the midst of it and perhaps be a small part of that change toward having leaders we truly trust.”

Armstrong thinks her viewpoint makes her the best candidate, “because I do not have connections. Because I am not beholden to anybody because of financial contributions,” she said. “Because I do not have any political baggage or political habits to unlearn, and because I am not affiliated with any of the entities of the state that are having major budget deficits.”

Advocate Staff