Mike Beilstein will seek the nomination for Congress

By Matt Neznanski

Gazette-Times reporter

Corvallis City Councilor Mike Beilstein announced Thursday that he will seek the Pacific Green Party nomination for the 4th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, the post currently held by Springfield Democrat Peter DeFazio.

Greens say they plan to make the November election a referendum on the Iraq War. While Beilstein lauded DeFazio and admitted that his bid for Congress was a long shot, he said Democrats had lost the high ground on Iraq.

“Democrats in Congress had the power to end the war by not funding it, but they failed the voters,” Beilstein said. “To me, it is about exposing the hypocrisy of the Democrats.”

Beilstein, who represents Ward 5 on the City Council, said he also intends to run for re-election to the council at the same time in November.

The retired Oregon State University chemist has served two terms on the council. He was elected in 1998 and again in 2006. He did not seek re-election in 2000 but instead ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner.

Beilstein has been secretary of the Corvallis Branch of the NAACP for more than 10 years and is active in the work of First Presbyterian Church of Corvallis.

He participated in illegal aid caravans to Cuba sponsored by Pastors for Peace in 2006 and 2007 and said he plans to continue annual trips to Havana as long as the U.S. trade embargo is in place.

The Pacific Green Party’s nominating convention will be June 7 in Portland. Greens will put forth candidates pledged to oppose the war in Iraq in all five Oregon congressional districts this year.

Besides Beilstein, Green congressional candidates include John Olmsted from Portland in District 1, Tristin Mock of The Dalles in District 2, and Alex Polikoff of Corvallis in District 5.