Baker County GOP Hosts Pizza Forum With Diehl, Bentz on State Tax Issues

Three Republicans competing for the Oregon governorship made their case to Baker County voters Thursday evening at the Elks Lodge on Baker City's Second Street, where U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz stepped into the moderator's chair for a two-hour forum organized by the Baker County Republican Central Committee.

State Rep. Ed Diehl of Scio, Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, and David Medina appeared before the audience from 6 to 8 p.m. to field questions centered on state-level concerns, with Oregon's proposed tax increases drawing particular attention in a county where residents have long pushed back against Salem's fiscal direction.

The evening opened early. Attendees were invited to arrive at 4 p.m. for pizza and drinks before the formal forum began, a deliberate social hour designed to let Baker County Republicans meet the candidates before the structured questioning started at 6 p.m.

Bentz, who represents Oregon's 2nd Congressional District and has long been the most prominent Republican voice in Eastern Oregon's federal delegation, lent the event considerable weight by agreeing to run the proceedings. His presence as moderator gave the forum a cross-jurisdictional character, pairing state-race candidates with the region's sitting congressman before a local Republican base.

The Baker City stop was part of a broader Eastern Oregon circuit by the campaigns, with multiple candidates making runs through the region ahead of the May primary. Baker City, as Baker County's seat and a natural gathering point for the surrounding rural area, drew the full slate to the Elks Lodge at 1896 Second Street.

The Baker County Republican Central Committee maintains information about upcoming events at BakerCountyOregonGOP.com.