I’m a Republican with sensible Republican values, and I support Steve Griffith. I believe in individual freedom in a limited government, where citizens use that freedom to perform public service. We serve in the military or the Peace Corps or Teach for America. The best of us even serve, unpaid, on school boards and city councils. Steve Griffith is living his Republican values. He has served in the Peace Corps. He has served on his local school board, and on nonprofit boards like the Classroom Law Project and the League of Conservation Voters. Now Steve asks to serve in the Oregon House of Representatives, and we can make it happen. To my mind, Steve Griffith is the essence of republicanism, with both a capital and a small “r.”
- Jim Westwood
I share with Steve the desire to bring back our traditional Oregon Republican Party. We need to reach across the aisle to be effective. To do that we, as Republicans, need to be at least within an arm's length of moderates on the other side.
- Patrick Boylston
I will vote and I encourage other Republicans to vote for Steve Griffith. I think Steve is a rare person in this day of partisan politics. I like how he is willing to work with both sides in order to get the job done. I know he will see that our tax money is spent wisely. We need a guy like Steve Griffith, who knows that government is truly a public service.
- Bob Marks
I have known Steve Griffith for over thirty years, and enthusiastically support his candidacy. Like Steve, I have been disappointed with the direction the Republican Party nationally and in Oregon has taken in recent years. In the 1970's that party had some wonderful leaders -- Tom McCall, Clay Meyers, Mark Hatfield, Wendell Wyatt, John Dellenback, Dave Frohnmayer, Norma Paulus -- who were sensible, political-middle and thoughtful public servants interested in what is best for our State. But increasingly the party has been pulled into a narrow, doctrinal direction, and seems out of touch with many of us who tend to favor a less intrusive role for government, an emphasis on personal responsibility, and consensus politics. Precisely because Steve seeks to rekindle that spirit within the party, I think his election is critical. He will seek constructive bipartisan solutions. That's a lot better than lapsing into a one-dominant-party mode or continuing the divisive politics of recent years.
- Barnes H. Ellis
To anyone who cares to listen, Steve Griffith is a man of refreshing honor and integrity who has a passion for bringing out the best in young people.
- David Bailey
Steve Griffith was the coach of our daughter's neighborhood soccer team. While he wanted the girls to win, it was evident to the parents that it was more important to Steve that he was preparing the girls to succeed in life. Steve is positive, upbeat and enthusiastic – about kids, about people, and about life.
Steve knows what students, schools and teachers face. He has served on the front lines as chair of the school board of the state's largest school district and as a teacher for many years. He brings fresh ideas that are based on experience. He is passionate about education.
- Katie Teach
Steve is a breath of amazingly fresh air and great promise on the political scene. He is intelligent, straightforward and determined to provide good, balanced government. If you're tired of far left and far right battles - fight for the center and vote for Steve Griffith.
- John Detjens
I am both a lifelong Republican and a lifelong friend of Steve Griffith. I enthusiastically support Steve's candidacy because I know his character and his agenda as a reformer. He is a breath of fresh air on how we can significantly improve public education. He seeks market oriented solutions for issues such as alternative energy. He is a candidate willing to reach across the aisle and get things done.
- Karl Olsoni
There are three qualities that best summarize what Steve Griffith is all about: integrity, intelligence, and independent balance. Steve is absolutely the most shining example of integrity: his word is his bond; he is straightforward, not manipulative; he has an Abe Lincoln-like honesty. Steve’s intellect is amazing: he has an incredible ability to quickly and thoroughly master complex, confusing, and in many cases, inconsistent facts. He writes and speaks with refreshing clarity and precision. I would trust his intellect to lead us through the messiest problems of our day. Steve’s leadership is about independence: He listens to everyone’s point of view and crafts careful and balanced solutions; he is not ideological, but analytical. He brings calm to contentious situations in a unique way that inspires the respect and confidence of opponents. At the end of the day, people of different opinions listen to Steve because of these qualities.
Steve is one of those rare people who are the whole package. I am thrilled that he has chosen to offer himself for public service. He will bring forthright leadership, balance and a thoughtful consideration of the issues to the legislature.
- Chris Kent
Steve Griffith makes me proud to be affiliated with the Republican Party. His formidable intellect, discipline, and powers of analysis are just what the legislature needs when it is deciding how to spend our tax dollars. I care passionately about public education, and few candidates could ever match Steve’s understanding of this crucial issue. As a former chair of the Portland School Board, he has a high level understanding of how to support excellence in education. As a volunteer coach of a Constitution class for almost a decade, he is on the ground in the public school system, giving him an appreciation of how policy decisions in Salem affect real students and real families. Steve brings passion and the highest integrity to everything he does. Oregon deserves a leader like Steve.
- Alison Brody
I am a 4th generation Oregonian and a life-long, very independent-minded Republican. I yearn for the days of Tom McCall and Mark Hatfield, when this State had a robust and fruitful two Party system. That is why I was so heartened to see Steve Griffith run for State Representative from Lake Oswego and Southwest Portland. Steve wants to restore the political atmosphere where the Parties had different perspectives but worked together. He would do so by moderating the Republican caucus from within and building bridges of trust across the aisle. It is no political slogan to state that Steve will put his community and State before his Party, which is something we haven't seen recently. While both Steve and his opponent have talent, only Steve has the age, the station and the ability to be independent of his Party and its legislative caucus when the occasion warrants without being viewed as a pariah or an obstructionist. Let’s work to return a viable two Party system in Oregon politics. In this race, the only candidate who can help bring that about is Steve Griffith - an uncommonly refreshing leader.
- Bob Repp
I wish I lived in Steve Griffith's district so I could give him my vote, but I will say this to his voters: I've known Steve for 30 years and have been constantly impressed by his intellect, integrity, professionalism, sense of fairness, and commitment to public service. As a moderate Republican who has tended increasingly to vote for Democratic and Independent candidates, I'm thrilled to know that Steve will serve in the Oregon Legislature. He will likely be the most balanced, moderate, and non-partisan voice we hear in Salem advocating for Oregon -- all of Oregon.
- Tom Sand
I am happy to support Steve for State Representative. He is smart, dedicated to pubic service, a hard worker, a champion of quality education, a forward thinker, an idea person, and a problem solver. He would be a terrific addition to the Oregon Legislature.
- Barbara Bledsoe
I have known Steve for over twenty years. I will vote for him because of his intelligence, integrity and his ability as an effective problem solver who can work to address the problems we Oregonians face.
- Gersham Goldstein
My husband and I are strong environmentalists and have made our property into a Certified National Wildlife Habitat. Steve Griffith's stand on the environment, renewable energy, protecting our water resources and making our state "green" rate very high with us. My husband and I are also seniors who need more protection and help. Steve Griffith's commitment to make our health care system stronger is important to us. Politicians are prone to make many promises to get elected and then forget about them after they get in. Public servants only make promises they can keep, and then keep them. I am an excellent judge of character and feel strongly that Steve is a public servant. Oregon needs more people like Steve Griffith. That's why my husband and I have voted for him.
- Joanne Balkovic
