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Medford mayor to run for state Senate By Damian Mann Updated: Mar 30, 2022 03:57 PM A A Sparacino to face off in GOP primary against Kevin Christman for the right to face state Sen. Jeff Golden Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino will run in the Republican primary against Kevin Christman of Talent in May for the right to face Oregon State Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, in November. The former Medford police chief said his time as mayor has revealed a disconnect between what takes place at the Legislature and how it affects Southern Oregon. “You notice the local control is getting more centralized in Salem,” Sparacino said. “Once you get into an elected office, you see how what happens in Salem affects development, decisions for planning and a lot of other things.” Sparacino’s opponent in the May 17 Republican primary is Talent resident Kevin Christman. Both have filed candidacy paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State. The deadline to file was March 8. In years past, the race for Senate District 3 has been hotly contested and has brought in significant dollars to help drive the campaigns. According to the Oregon Secretary of State website, Sparacino has so far amassed $35,062 in contributions. The largest cash contribution has been $15,000 from Grant Ryder Concrete Inc. of Sisters. The largest in-kind contribution is $12,200 from The Leadership Fund, a Republican political action committee. Christman has received $5,260 in contributions. On his website, Christman set out several of his goals: “As a constitutionally minded representative I will work hard to protect our rights, stand up to government overreach, advocate to protect private property rights and reduce intrusionary regulations set by agenda driven policies,” he said. Golden, who has no opponent in the primary, has received $3,450 in contributions for this election but had a cash balance of $97,274.93 left over from his previous campaign. Senate District 3 encompasses a large swath of southern Jackson County and includes Medford, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland and Jacksonville. The district leans Democratic. Sparacino said he will continue to serve as mayor if he wins the Republican primary but would step down if he were elected to the Senate Nov. 8. He said the mayor’s office is a nonpaid position, so technically he could continue to hold the office as well as being a senator. As a former police chief, Sparacino said he’s opposed many actions by the Legislature that undercut law enforcement. He cited a recent law that makes it difficult for an officer to pull a vehicle over if one of the headlights has stopped working. Sparacino said Measure 110, approved by voters in 2020, has led to an increase in drug overdoses in Jackson County. Measure 110 reduced the penalties for drug possession, including heroin and methamphetamine. Sparacino said the thinking behind the measure is to provide treatment for drug addicts, but it hasn’t worked that way. He said the Legislature needs to find ways to correct deficiencies in the new law. More needs to be done to help Southern Oregon deal with the ongoing wildfire danger, including developing reasonable timber management techniques, Sparacino said. “This summer is poised to be a horrific summer,” he said, citing the ongoing drought. “We have a seven-county region with a lot of overgrown forests.” He said he’d like to find common ground on the issue and avoid the extremes on both sides of the issue. On climate change, Sparacino said, “There is evidence that things are getting warmer.” He said local communities have been taking action to lessen the fire danger by taking steps to clear out vegetation along the Bear Creek Greenway, which fed the rapid expansion of the Almeda fire. Sparacino said he considers himself a problem-solver who would work hard for Southern Oregon. As to Golden, the incumbent, he said, “He and I have different approaches. His heart is in the right place.” Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].