Ben Unger
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 29th[1] district
In office
January 14, 2013 – January 12, 2015
Preceded byKaterina Brewer
Succeeded bySusan McLain
Personal details
Born (1976-03-04) March 4, 1976
Cornelius, Oregon
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Cornelius, Oregon
Alma materUniversity of Oregon
Website2013 archived copy

Benjamin 'Ben' Unger[2] (born March 4, 1976 in Cornelius, Oregon) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 29 from 2013 to 2015. He stands at over 6'7".

Early life

Unger was born on March 4, 1976, in Cornelius, Oregon, and was raised on a farm south of the city.[3] After graduating from Hillsboro High School in 1994,[4][5] Unger earned his BA degree in English from the University of Oregon.[3] Prior to entering politics, he worked as a special assistant to the Oregon Attorney General.

Political career

In 2012, Unger won the District 29 Democratic Primary with 65.2% of the vote against Katie Riley.[6] He won the November 6 General election with 11,312 votes (53.5%) against Republican nominee Katie Eyre.[7] Unger was endorsed by a local newspaper, the Forest Grove News Times, and many other groups such as the Oregon Council of Police Associations, the Oregon State Council of Retired Citizens, and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.[8] During his run against Eyre, he was portrayed as a carpetbagger for moving back to the district from Portland to run for the seat.[9] The Forest Grove News Times ran an article pointing out inaccuracies in those attacks, and referenced them as one of the reasons they chose to endorse Unger.[10][11] Unger, who grew up on his families' Century Farm, emphasized supporting local schools in his campaign.[12][13]

In 2014, he announced he would not run for re-election, and in June 2014 became the executive director of lobby group Our Oregon,[14] where he served until 2018.[15] Unger was succeeded by former Metro councilor Susan McLain, also a Democrat.[16]

Electoral history

2012 Oregon State Representative, 29th district [17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben Unger 11,312 53.5
Republican Katie Eyre 9,788 46.3
Write-in 60 0.3
Total votes 21,160 100%

References

  1. ↑ "Representative Ben Unger". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Ben Unger's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Ben Unger's Biography". Candidates. Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Voter Guide: State Representative -- 29th District". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Hilhi Students Meet Oregon House Representative Ben Unger". The Oregonian. December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "May 15, 2012, Primary Election Abstracts of Votes". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 13. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  7. ↑ "November 6, 2012, General Election Abstract of Votes". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 16. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Supporters | Ben Unger for Oregon House District 29". Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  9. ↑ Jaquiss, Nigel (October 24, 2012). "Hot House". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Mailers fudge facts on Unger". Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  11. ↑ "Unger best choice for HD29 race". Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  12. ↑ "| Ben Unger for Oregon House District 29". Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  13. ↑ "Ben Unger: Economic vitality depends on strong schools today". 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  14. ↑ Mapes, Jeff (June 20, 2014). "Hillsboro Rep. Ben Unger takes the reins of Our Oregon, one of state's key liberal groups". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  15. ↑ “Our Oregon.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. 2016. Part Seven, Section A. ^
  16. ↑ "SLIDES: Oregon's 7 New Political Power Players". GoLocalPDX. November 10, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Official Results | November 6, 2012". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.


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