January 07th, 2021

Local leaders condemn 'domestic
terrorism' in Washington, D.C., Salem

Statement regarding the events in Washington D.C. and Salem on Jan. 6, 2021
We, Benton and Linn County community leaders and local elected officials, stand united in this statement in condemning by the strongest terms these acts of domestic terrorism that were witnessed in Salem and Washington DC Capitol buildings. We stand united that in order for our Union to stay strong, we must accept that civil dialogue and representative democracy are the only ways to enact change.
Every citizen, parent, and community member should stand united against this attack on Democracy. Some of us ran for election and lost, but in the very act to run for office, we opt into the idea that we are running for something larger than ourselves. We are deeply disturbed by this attempted attack on our democracy.
Tonight, we must remind ourselves and our children that we cannot take democracy for granted. We must tell our children that acts of violence and rebellion against our representative government and its institutions are cowardly and unacceptable acts.

Signed:
Alex Johnson II, Mayor of Albany 
Angel Harris, Corvallis/Albany NAACP President 
Ann Gaidos-Morgan, Benton County Democrats Secretary 
Biff Traber, Mayor of Corvallis
Brenda Sterner - Linn County Democrats Executive Committee
Charles Maughan, Corvallis Ward 2 City Councilor, Executive Committee Benton County Democrats, ORCA
Chris Smith - Linn County Democrats Vice Chair
Dan Rayfield - State Representative
Frank Bricker, Linn Benton Lincoln ESD board member
Genny Lynch - Linn County Democrats Executive Committee
Heather Brice, Benton County Democrats Vice-Chair 2 & SCC Delegate 
Heather Carmichael, Albany Student Advocacy Project
Holly Shutta, Executive Committee Benton County Democrats, ORCA
Jackie Montague - Linn County Democrats Treasurer
Janet Quinn - Linn County Democrats Vice Chair
Jason J. Dorsette, Corvallis/Albany NAACP President-Elect
Jerred Taylor - Linn County Democrats Chair
Jessica McDonald - League of Women Voters President
Jennifer Ward, Greater Albany Public Schools Board of Directors
John Haroldson - Benton County District Attorney
Jodi Yoder, Education Chair, NAACP
Justin Roach, Albany School Board member
Keith Kolkow - Former Candidate Albany City Council
Kim Butzner, Greater Albany Public School Board Chair  
Linda Ramsey, Neighborhood Leader Program Chair, Benton County Democrats
Liv Gifford, Executive Director, Corvallis Public Schools Foundation
Lisa Harlan, Greater Albany Public Schools Assistant Superintendent
Luhui Whitebear, Corvallis School Board member
Melissa Goff, Greater Albany Public Schools Superintendent
Melissa Harder, Corvallis School District Assitant Superintendent
Michael Ostrom, Pastor, Luther House Campus Ministry @ OSU
Michael Thomson, Greater Albany Public School Board Member
Miriam G. Cummins, Linn-Benton-Lincon ESD Board Member and 2020 Democratic Nominee for Oregon House District 15
Nancy Wyse, Benton County Commissioner
Renee Windsor-White - Linn County Democrats Secretary
Robert Heald, Benton County Democrats Former Treasurer
Rev. Robert Kirby United Methodist
Rev. Linda Tucker, Lead Pastor of Corvallis First United Methodist Church.
Ryan Noss, Corvallis School District 509J Superintendent
Sami Al-Abdrabbuh - Chair of Corvallis Board of Education, President of Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus
Sara Gelser, State Senator
Sarah Finger McDonald, Vice Chair, Corvallis School Board
Stephanie Newton, DPO Disability Justice Caucus Chair, Vice Chair of Linn County Democrats, Chair of Albany Human Relations Commission
Tanya Shively, Former Oregon DNC Member
Taryn Bazurto, Benton County Democrats Chair
Tina Baker, Corvallis School Board member
Tony Lapiz,  Benton County Democrats  Vice-Chair 1
Vincent Adams, Corvallis School Board member
Wendy Nilson - Linn County Democrats Executive Committee
Xan Augerot, Benton County Commissioner