Chris Thobaben, a supply chain consultant and reserve officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, is seeking to unseat state Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Felida, in the November election.
A Democrat, Thobaben said he has not previously run for office but has served as an appointed precinct committee officer. The Salmon Creek resident said he became interested in running for the position after he helped write the platform of the Democratic Party for the county and the state.
Thobaben, 34, said that after helping write the platform he saw an opportunity to run in a Republican district on what he said are centrist ideas that fit into the Democratic platform.
“We have a lot of stuff going for us and I want to be involved,” he said, citing nearby Vancouver and a port of entry “to dream of” that links the area to other supply chains.
Thobaben describes himself as a centrist Democrat. He said that his objectives align with Republican ideals of economic opportunity and hard work. He said that much of his focus will be on jobs and the economy.
“The best remedy for homelessness is to never arrive in the state of crisis,” said Thobaben.
If elected, he said he’ll advocate for creating a program that will work with private industry and organized labor to connect veterans leaving the service with training programs for high-demand jobs, such as commercial drivers or pipefitters.
“Private industry can’t recruit enough skilled tradesmen,” he said.
He also wants to engage with health care providers to expand services and affordability to underserved rural areas.
Thobaben also criticized the education funding package approved by lawmakers last year that resulted in a significant property tax hike this year. Saying that lawmakers had worked themselves into a “really tough spot,” he said he would have sounded off against the deal had he been in the Legislature.
Thobaben grew up on a farm in rural Ohio. He said he left active duty in the Marine Corps in 2014. He said he deployed twice to Iraq and holds the rank of major. He’s a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He’s also volunteered for a refugee resettlement program, helping interpreters who provided support to American soldiers.
