Jack Howard (Oregon)

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Jack Howard

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 19, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Western Washington University, 1984

Graduate

Columbia Southern University

Law

Seattle University School of Law

Personal

Birthplace

Ilwaco, Wash.

Religion

Jewish

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal YouTube

Jack Howard (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on May 19, 2020.

Howard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jack Howard was born in Ilwaco, Washington. He earned a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University, a master's degree from Columbia Southern University, and a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law. His career experience includes working as a writer, attorney, educator, and politician.

Elections

2020

See also: Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (May 19 Republican primary)

Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (May 19 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 2

Cliff Bentz defeated Alex Spenser and Robert Werch in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cliff Bentz (R)	59.9	273,835
		Alex Spenser (D)	36.9	168,881
		Robert Werch (L)	3.1	14,094
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	623

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 457,433
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Patrick Archer (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2

Alex Spenser defeated Nick Heuertz, Chris Vaughn, Jack Howard, and John Holm in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Spenser	32.1	23,482
		Nick Heuertz	31.0	22,685
		Chris Vaughn	18.2	13,351
		Jack Howard	8.3	6,047
		John Holm	8.1	5,908
		Other/Write-in votes	2.4	1,734

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,207
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Isabella Tibbetts (D)
• Raz Mason (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cliff Bentz	31.3	37,488
		Knute Buehler	22.1	26,405
		Jason Atkinson	19.5	23,274
		Jimmy Crumpacker	18.0	21,507
		Travis Fager	3.6	4,265
		Jeff Smith	2.1	2,539
	Submit photo	Justin Livingston	1.1	1,350
		Mark Roberts	1.1	1,336
		David Campbell	0.3	418
		Glenn Carey	0.2	283
		Kenneth Medenbach	0.2	267
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	450

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 119,582
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Justus Mayo (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Oregon District 2

Robert Werch advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on July 6, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Robert Werch (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Oregon Labor Commissioner election, 2018

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

Val Hoyle won election outright against Lou Ogden and Jack Howard in the primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Val Hoyle (Nonpartisan)	52.5	375,762
		Lou Ogden (Nonpartisan)	35.5	253,977
		Jack Howard (Nonpartisan)	12.1	86,477

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 716,216
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jack Howard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Howard's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Education

Housing Healthcare

I often mention how my interests that developed in the last several years are in health, housing, and addressing poverty as a matter of social indicators: in such a wealthy nation, our sense of personal illness, and mental health risks (especially to our opportunity youth) has probably never been so profound.

One thing I've learned in this regard is to ask how we can be available, for people to make real decisions that are self-empowering. That's why I've served on several boards (the State IL board, Board of County Commissioners, Vice Chair for the housing authority, national commissioner for NAHRO...and pardon the acronyms)...that are all about self-advocacy and reaching for true, meaningful equity and inclusion.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Disabilities Advocacy: Nothing For Us, Without Us
• Coordination of Federal Poverty Planning
• An Independent Leader For a New Consensus

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

One example I like to use, to emphasize how theory (especially in policy budgeting) has to be practical, has to do with my early months in law school: one late night, I ran into a scene in front of my law school, where I happened to meet some homeless men. These men were just surviving, and seemed to be a world apart from my studies...and I didn't want that gap to become permanent. The next week, I spent parts of my nights on the streets of Tacoma to see what was happening there. As a result, in addition to my first year of legal studies, I also wrote stories (the first I'd ever written for a newspaper) about what I found on the streets, the heating vents, and in the local rescue missions. Since then, as part of a team managing our $40 million dollar county budget, those same priorities of public service are with me. As a County Commissioner, I advocated for the need to try and build system capacity for addressing poverty without labeling people. One solution I was proud of was to set up a "red flag" system, based on getting social services alerted, coordinated, and of help, when people were falling behind on their property taxes: all while maintaining the competing interests of protecting property values, fair taxation and even privacy issues. If I had to summarize what these experiences mean to me: never give up on anyone's right to be more free, more self-empowered.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Politically, there's no more important figure in the last hundred years than FDR. The most inspiring people I know now? People such as my friend Tony, who is a phenomenal leader in disabilities advocacy. The "unsung" folks who day in and day out keep the faith with making friends smile, and don't realize just how amazing they are. There's always more left to be to be said about a humble man than the proudest bigshot.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Fountainhead

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Not pandering : being willing to disagree, advocate strongly, and to be honest.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

People, especially if they feel they are in conflict, now have the classic contradiction in our communication: both a curse and blessing of a more and more digitally visual learning, work, and collaborative environment. This has real problems for more traditional learning, workforce development, and transferable work skills. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then learning is a picture map of the mind. So, there's an interesting coincidence going on, because people are becoming more and more visual in accumulating data-but not always having a way to incorporate all that data into real productivity "materially." An instance where we developed sound communication is in the very crucial area of equity for people with disabilities. In one simple victory, we (the State Independent Living Council) successfully pressed for a promise for grants, from an agency head, to address energy costs for people who rely on affordable electric bills. A more complicated scenario is built around the idea of how state agencies can properly embrace best practices, in acknowledging that employment equity has to come from private sectors. The visual messaging has been a challenge, because advocacy needs to be willing to run the risk of using digital and fiscal advocacy and even one-off fund raising as a way to reach equitable access and valid imagery.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To state your principles clearly and stick to them.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I often mention how my interests that developed in the last several years are in health, housing, and addressing poverty as a matter of social indicators: in such a wealthy nation, our sense of personal illness, and mental health risks (especially to our opportunity youth) has probably never been so profound.

One thing I've learned in this regard is to ask how we can be available, for people to make real decisions that are self-empowering. That's why I've served on several boards (the State IL board, Board of County Commissioners, Vice Chair for the housing authority, national commissioner for NAHRO...and pardon the acronyms)...that are all about self-advocacy and reaching for true, meaningful equity and inclusion. As an elected official, this is the key aspect of transparency...and with growing complexity, transparency struggles to be clearly communicated as we talk policy. I am very strongly committed to better understanding of to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a lifelong process; that is, the markers of real democratic higher education. Learning about health policy, as a human right, is also a core competency: it means problem solving and team work, a commitment to a vision and also skills building.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Der mensch trakht un Gott lahkht

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I grew up in the food service industry. My earliest memories are of customers and serving food. I worked in the family restaurant until finishing law school. I think between the two, I probably prefer restaurant work...

What is your favorite book? Why?

Sometimes A Great Notion

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain Kirk

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Someday by MBD

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I truly cherish my glasses: as a single dad, I'm still raising two wonderful kids, who mean the world to me. Along the way, I have had some tough times. I was still more blessed than far too many people---I was able to be at home, most of the time, writing and researching, for all kinds of clients. There's no easy way to balance work with child-rearing. But I also needed help sometimes. The kids told me recently, they didn't know how poor we were. Those glasses were paid for under OHP insurance. So, what do you think about any idea or possibility that I won't fight to protect the needy from medical cuts?

Why, you'd need new glasses if you thought that.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Active debate is still possible in committee. Its uniqueness past this potential for debate, is its abasement by the costs of being elected, the debt to corporate contributors and land holders, and the toxic nature of a two party system.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, knowing how to draft rules and regulations are crucial.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Undoubtedly: the collapse of the middle class, and the tolerance of poverty as a planning tool.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Transportation, Interior and HUD oversight.

If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?

NA

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Far too much time is spent on reelection or a golden parachute. Four years makes more sense.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I support them: I led the effort to adopt county limits.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

No. I want a more independent path forward.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Senator Henry Jackson was someone I met and loved working for.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Yes, when I learned of a family, who were trapped in a housing situation where effluent routinely backed up into their home...and the owner blamed them for it, and the town refused to help.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

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External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

Footnotes

[show]

Oregon's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D)

Representatives

District 1

Suzanne Bonamici (D)

District 2

Cliff Bentz (R)

District 3

Maxine Dexter (D)

District 4

Val Hoyle (D)

District 5

Janelle Bynum (D)

District 6

Andrea Salinas (D)

Democratic Party (7)

Republican Party (1)