Ben Bowman
Ben Bowman (Democratic Party) is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 25. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Bowman (Democratic Party, Independent Party, Oregon Working Families Party) ran for re-election to the Oregon House of Representatives to represent District 25. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024.
In March of 2024, Bowman was elected as State House Majority Leader.[1]
Biography
Ben Bowman was born in Portland, Oregon. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon in 2014 and a graduate degree from Stanford University in 2018. His career experience includes working as an innovation and partnership strategist at the Oregon Department of Education.[2]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Bowman was assigned to the following committees:
Elections
2024
See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Incumbent Ben Bowman defeated Bob Niemeyer in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Bowman (D / Independent Party / Oregon Working Families Party) | 67.4 | 18,864 | |
| Bob Niemeyer (R) | 32.4 | 9,059 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 61 | ||
| Total votes: 27,984 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Incumbent Ben Bowman advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Bowman | 99.3 | 6,063 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 40 | ||
| Total votes: 6,103 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Bob Niemeyer advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bob Niemeyer | 98.3 | 2,517 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.7 | 44 | ||
| Total votes: 2,561 | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bowman in this election.
2022
See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Ben Bowman defeated Bob Niemeyer in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Bowman (D / Independent Party / Working Families Party) | 65.3 | 20,636 | |
| Bob Niemeyer (R) | 34.5 | 10,907 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 56 | ||
| Total votes: 31,599 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Ben Bowman advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Bowman | 98.7 | 6,818 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 92 | ||
| Total votes: 6,910 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25
Bob Niemeyer defeated Gabriel Buehler in the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 25 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bob Niemeyer | 54.0 | 2,212 | |
| Gabriel Buehler | 44.8 | 1,835 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 47 | ||
| Total votes: 4,094 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Art Witkowski (R)
Endorsements
To view Bowman's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ben Bowman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Ben Bowman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bowman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is Ben Bowman. I grew up attending the Tigard-Tualatin School District and today, I serve as Chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board.
My mom was a high school English teacher and my dad worked for the post office. I earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and his master’s degree in education policy from Stanford University. In my day job, I work in education leading complex policy and operations work at the Oregon Department of Education. Previously, I worked for former Rep. Margaret Doherty, who represented Tigard in the legislature for over a decade and served as Chair of the House Education Committee, and former House Majority Leader Val Hoyle.
I am the first openly LGBTQ+ school board member in TTSD. I am proud that under my leadership (with my colleagues in district leadership), TTSD has posted its highest graduation rates of all time and some of our smallest class sizes ever. Working alongside students and district leaders, I helped remove pay-to-play fees for students and invest in more school counselors, CTE programs, and mental health services. One of the things I am most proud of is co-founded Packed with Pride at the beginning of the pandemic, which grew into one of the largest food distribution programs in the region.
- Lower the cost of living: I support reducing the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, expanding affordable childcare options, and creating more living-wage jobs to promote economic mobility.
- Build a world-class public education system: We can lift academic achievement by investing in preschool for all, reading programs, and CTE. We must support educators and lower the cost of higher education.
- Invest in affordable housing and homelessness services: We must build more housing, make purchasing easier for first-time home buyers, and expand access to mental health and addiction services.
I have always believed that a strong public education system can change the trajectories of students' lives. It's why I ran for the school board, earned my master's in education policy, and work for the Oregon Department of Education. I support rigorous and challenging academic programs, but I also know how powerful sports, the arts, CTE, and activities can be for young people (all three had a big impact on my life). I am also proud that the Tigard-Tualatin School District has served as a state model for empowering student leadership (we've been recognized at the national level for connecting student voice to policy decisions).
I look up to former Oregon governor Tom McCall and Bobby Kennedy.
Tom McCall is an Oregon icon--he was authentic, funny, and innovative. He wasn't constrained by traditional party politics (he was a liberal Republican!) and he wasn't afraid to take tough stands (he was willing to make people mad if he believed in something). He helped establish Oregon as a leader in environmental protection (protecting public beaches, establishing land use planning, and passing the bottle bill). He loved Oregon with his whole heart and died fighting to protect it.
Bobby Kennedy is one of the rare figures in American history who was able to transcend divisions in race and class in pursuit of justice. He was a champion for civil rights and a social safety net for the most vulnerable people in this country (despite coming from a prominent and wealthy family). He inspired a generation of Americans to participate in politics and have hope for the future. He also was a man of uncommon courage who demonstrated tremendous personal growth; he changed and evolved as a leader over the course his life before being assassinated (like his brother) during his campaign for president in 1968.
Integrity, first and foremost, is the characteristic that is most important for an elected official. Voters should always know that their elected officials are being honest and upholding their values. Voters may not always agree with me, but I always want them to know where I stand. I also believe having a tireless work ethic is incredibly important for an elected leader. I want to be considered one of the hardest working legislators in the Capitol because I know that is how to get things done. Additionally, I will strive to be a good listener; I want to be someone who is accessible and willing to hear new ideas, criticism, and all good-faith feedback.
My hope is that at the end of my service, I will be able to say that Oregon is a better place. I hope that I will be able to help make life better for all Oregonians, and particularly for Oregon's most vulnerable people like children and seniors. I hope I will succeed in improving our public education system, addressing our mental health and addiction crises, lowering the cost of living for working people, and protecting Oregon's natural beauty.
The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. I remember my dad driving my brothers and I to elementary school, shushing us so he could turn up the radio to hear what happened. I also remember a moment of silence (the first one I can remember) in my classroom and not really understanding what was going on, but realizing how serious and sad this was to all of the adults. Later, I remember watching live television when the war in Afghanistan started and feeling very scared; I asked my mom if we were in danger (not understanding that this was all unfolding half a world away).
My first real job was helping people register to vote. I did it the summer of my senior year as I was preparing to go off to college. It taught me how to deal with rejection and how to explain politics/elections to new voters. Ultimately I helped hundreds of people get registered to vote so they could cast a ballot in the election.
"The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday. This is the book that I give as a graduation gift to seniors. It tells the stories of icons throughout history who have encountered major challenges--but rather than being stymied by them or merely withstanding them, they turned "adversity into advantage."
The governor and the state legislature should have a collaborative working relationship with open lines of communication. They should work together to address the state's challenges and plan for the long-term future of Oregon. However, I also believe the legislature has a responsibility to exercise its authority as a co-equal branch of government by conducting thorough oversight of executive branch programs and safeguarding taxpayer dollars during the budget process.
Our biggest challenge over the next decade will be building a thriving economy that supports working people, promotes economic mobility, and protects our environment. This will require a world-class public education system (from preschool to higher education) that prepares students to succeed in college and/or the workforce. It will mean supporting small business owners and Oregon-based companies so they can grow and create more economic opportunities. It will mean supporting working families by making childcare, housing, health care, and college more affordable. It will also mean passing environmental policies that keep our air and water clean. All of this is deeply complex and challenging work, but I am confident that we can come together to make it happen and deliver for Oregonians.
Yes. Nearly all of the most important policy achievements throughout our history have involved some degree of compromise--people with differing views working together to solve problems. That would be my approach as a legislator. This is why the best policies are born when all stakeholder groups are able to come together and hear each others' goals, ideas, and concerns. We won't always be able to get consensus or agreement, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't put in the effort to make sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
I also believe that some things (like moral issues) should not be compromised. I will never compromise my core values or ethics, and I will never vote for something that I believe is bad for Oregon, compromise or not.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Oregon State Senate District 18
Incumbent Ginny Burdick won election in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 18 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ginny Burdick (D) | 95.8 | 63,082 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.2 | 2,776 | ||
| Total votes: 65,858 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 18
Incumbent Ginny Burdick defeated Ben Bowman in the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 18 on May 19, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ginny Burdick | 69.2 | 20,634 | |
| Ben Bowman | 30.7 | 9,138 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 35 | ||
| Total votes: 29,807 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Campaign themes
2020
Ben Bowman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
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Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Oregon scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from January 17 to June 25.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Oregon House of Representatives District 25 |
Officeholder Oregon House of Representatives District 25 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon House Democrats pick Rep. Ben Bowman as new majority leader," accessed March 21, 2024
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 19, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jessica George (R) |
Oregon House of Representatives District 25 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
