U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith isn’t the only Republican from Oregon seeking to keep his seat in Washington, D.C.

The race between Smith and Democratic contender Jeff Merkley has received the most headlines, but U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., also is up for re-election in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District and is facing opposition from three candidates.

The Herald and News asked each candidate’s campaign officials for their candidate’s top three priorities.

Greg Walden

(incumbent)

Affiliation: Republican

Residence: Hood River

Bio: Walden was elected to the House in 1999 and has served as deputy majority whip and assistant majority whip for the Republican Party during that time. Prior to his tenure in Washington, D.C., he was an Oregon state senator and state representative. He also worked in Republican Denny Smith’s congressional office.

Before entering public service, he owned two communications companies. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. He is married with one son.

Goals:

• Creating jobs and strengthening the economy: Walden said he would work to keep taxes low, reduce government red tape and seek improved access to health care, especially in rural areas, to grow the state and the national economy.

• Renewable energy production and decreased dependence on foreign oil: He wrote the Security and Energy for America Act to expand access to American energy sources. Revenue from oil discoveries on federal lands would be fed into developing renewable energy sources and technologies.

• Improving forest health: Walden said he would continue to work toward streamlined regulations to allow better management of government-owned forest lands and reduce the risk of forest fires.

Noah Lemas

Affiliation: Democrat

Residence: Bend

Bio: Owned Sunriver Snowboards and Side Effect Boardshop and was the business liaison to the city of Bend when it developed the traffic circle at 14th Street and Galveston Avenue.

Raised in Orange County, Calif., Lemas earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California at Santa Barbara before moving to Central Oregon. He enrolled in Portland State University’s Graduate School of Business and also studied abroad. He is married with two children.

Goals:

• Creating a viable economy for rural Oregon: On his Web site, Lemas said there is a need to work with the state’s timber industry as well as the agricultural industry to ensure their continued success.

• Improving rural access to health care: He advocates “universal” health care for those under the age of 18 and affordable insurance plans for all American citizens.

• Agitating for substantive change in Congress: Lemas criticized federal lawmakers for being too easily manipulated by lobbyists and activists. Campaign finance reform and term limits are needed to limit special interests in Washington, D.C.

Tristin Mock

Affiliation: Pacific Green

Residence: La Grande

Bio: Mock is a naturopathic physician and also teaches at Blue Mountain Academy for the Healing Arts. She has degrees and certificates in history, gerontology and naturopathic medicine.

She was raised in The Dalles where she participated in 4-H and FFA and worked with Special Olympics. She has a daughter.

Goals:

• Iraq: She would seek to shift resources from the conflict, which has bred more terrorists, to address problems in the U.S.

• Universal health care: She said providing health care that focuses on prevention rather than disease management would cut health care costs and ensure everyone has coverage.

• Energy independence: Shift focus to renewable energy to slow the affects of climate change while creating American jobs and reducing dependence on foreign oil.

Rick Hake

Affiliation: Constitution

Residence: Rogue River

Bio: Hake has held a variety of jobs, many of them in law enforcement and security, and he’s also worked on an oil field and as a machine operator for a printing company. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the U.S. Air Force. He retired in 2000.

He was born in Medford and raised mostly in the Rogue Valley. He has degrees and certificates from Rogue Community College, Portland Community College and Southern Oregon University. He is married with four children and nine grandchildren.

Goals:

• Free Trade: He seeks repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, to stem the loss of jobs in the American economy.

• Immigration and border control: Hake wants heavier fines for those who employ and rent homes to illegal aliens. He also seeks a worker program so immigrants can receive permits to work here for specified periods of time, perhaps eventually leading to citizenship.

• Constitutional compliance: The U.S. Constitution is regularly ignored by federal lawmakers, partially because lawmakers are too comfortable in their positions, he said.