Teacher. Farmer. Neighbor.
I’m Max Sherman. I’m not a career politician—I’m a retired teacher, farmer, and most importantly, a husband, dad, grandfather, and neighbor. I have been deeply rooted in the North Coast community for 25 years, where I live with my wife Lynda in Hebo on our farm. We grow produce and raise poultry to donate to local families, churches, and food pantries, as well as teaching hands-on technical and agricultural skills to local adults and young people.
Education is my passion. I am an Oregon State University alumnus with a B.A. and M.Ed. in Agricultural Education, as well as an M.A. in Economics and Entrepreneurship Education from the University of Delaware. I taught agriculture, welding, and biology for 35 years at Tillamook and Canby High Schools, where I had the privilege of mentoring hundreds of students into successful technical and agricultural careers. My students have gone on to earn over 75 State FFA Degrees, more than 10 American Degrees, and over $300,000 in scholarships under my leadership. I was honored to be named Tillamook County’s Educator of the Year, as well as a National Finalist for the FFA Agri-Science Teacher of the Year award. During my tenure as an educator, I was able to build nationally recognized programs that connected Oregon students with peers in Namibia, Cameroon, Rwanda, Swaziland, and Kenya.
Beyond the classroom, I have been deeply involved in service and leadership in my North Coast community. I have served on the Oregon FFA Board of Directors as a legislative representative for Oregon’s vocational agriculture teachers and as a Tillamook Farm Bureau delegate and legislative affairs representative. Additionally, I am a charter member of the Tillamook Jr. Livestock Association, a Village Missions volunteer, and for nearly 40 years, I testified to and worked with legislators on agriculture, natural resources, and education.
I believe in strong families, local control, and an Oregon where hard work and integrity still matter. I have watched our state drift away from the values that once made it a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Families are struggling under higher taxes, rising costs, and schools that have lost focus on the basics. Our farming, fishing, and timber jobs are under pressure and our roads are aging despite the tax dollars we send off to Salem, never to be seen again.
The North Coast is tired of being treated like an afterthought—and no one has forgotten us more than the man we sent to Salem. State Representative Cyrus Javadi asked for our trust, then went on to cast the deciding vote for Tina Kotek’s $4.3 billion gas tax and switch parties, abandoning North Coast voters, along with nearly all of his values and beliefs as well. Cyrus Javadi broke his promise to us, then left us out to dry.
Speaking out against that kind of betrayal is not a slogan for me, and I refused to sit on the sidelines. I gathered signatures to put the disastrous gas tax on the ballot, and when Salem tried to move the vote off the November ballot, I joined the lawsuit as the Tillamook County plaintiff so voters would still have a say. It worked—and Oregonians then went on to reject that tax package by a resounding 83%.
I’m running because we here in House District 32 need a representative who doesn’t play political games with our values and our hard-earned tax dollars. We need someone who will bring honesty, accountability, and common sense to Salem. If elected, I will donate my legislative salary to charities and community organizations throughout District 32.
I’ve been a Republican my whole life, and we may not agree on every issue—but you can always count on me to stick to my values and my promises to you, the voter. I won’t change my positions when the political winds shift.
I’ll keep my word, and I will always put the North Coast first.