Oregon families are working harder than ever — yet too many are caught in rising tax bills, growing fees, unaffordable housing, and ballooning health-care costs. Max has lived this life: raising a family, teaching for decades, farming alongside his wife Lynda, and seeing the burden on neighbors in his community. He believes state policy must refocus on controlling costs, cutting unnecessary spending, and returning power to local families. He will fight for tax relief for working households, encourage affordable housing solutions that respect rural and coastal realities, and ensure that government supports families — not stacks additional burdens on them.

The backbone of our district’s economy — family farms, fisheries, timber, coastal tourism — faces increasing pressure from regulation, taxation, and global competition. Max knows this world intimately: he farms produce and poultry, mentors youth in ag and trades, and has taught generations of students in technical and agricultural fields. He will be a strong advocate in Salem for policies that support sustainable agriculture and resource industries, protect jobs in fishing and timber, reduce burdensome regulation where it doesn’t increase safety or productivity, and promote apprenticeships and career training so young people can stay in the region and build good lives. He believes Oregon’s natural resources are both a gift and a responsibility, and he will work to ensure that families and businesses who rely on them are treated fairly.

Good roads, safe bridges, reliable infrastructure matter — especially for rural and coastal areas, where farm trucks, fishing boats, school buses and local businesses depend on them. Voters in our district are frustrated to see resources directed away from their communities and toward urban centers. Max, as a lifelong educator and farmer, understands the importance of practical infrastructure and local access. He will prioritize funding decisions that deliver for the North Coast and rural Oregon — repair highways, maintain bridges, invest in broadband, support logistics for agriculture and natural resources, and ensure that projects aren’t designed only for insiders but for working families who live and commute here. He will hold state government accountable so that infrastructure money is spent where it belongs.

Our neighborhoods need to be safe, clean, and free of the encampments, open drug use, chronic property damage, and lack of enforcement that many residents see as signs of declining community respect. Max understands that safety isn’t just police presence — it’s community responsibility, strong families, supportive schools, and fair enforcement. Drawing on his legacy as educator, mentor, and neighbor, he will back law enforcement, support treatment and recovery alternatives, strengthen community-based solutions (including faith- and service-based nonprofits), and encourage local decision-making so that residents feel heard and protected. He pledges to restore the sense of safety and trust that residents expect and deserve.