Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2016 Primary Election

Thank you for responding to this questionnaire.

Why this matters: The Statesman Journal Editorial Board will use this questionnaire in deciding
whether and whom to endorse for the May 17 General Election. Reporters, who operate
separately from the Editorial Board, may use these answers in writing stories. Your answers may
be published on StatesmanJournal.com and/or in the print newspaper.
We also ask that you respond to every question, instead of simply attaching campaign materials,
resumes, etc. If you wish, you are welcome to send us lists of supporters, a resume, etc., in
addition to this questionnaire.
Please return the finished questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an email or an attached Word
document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com. (Handwritten, pdf, WordPerfect or fax responses
dont work.)
Important: Please return the questionnaire by the end of the day April 14.
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com, or
Editorial Assistant Nancy Harrington, 503-399-6864, nharring@StatesmanJournal.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Your name as listed on the ballot: Val Hoyle

Age: 52 (and getting better every day!)
(If your age will change before May 31, please indicate your birthday. We want to ensure we use
accurate ages in pre- and post-election editorials and news coverage.)
City/town of residence: Eugene
Political party, if this is a partisan office: Democrat
Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, etc.): Secretary of State
Are you currently a full-time resident within the boundaries of the specific area (ward, district,
county, etc.) that you seek to represent?
Yes I am.

Number of current, consecutive years living within the district you seek to represent: 17 years
Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home or number of grown
children):
Husband: Stephen Hoyle
Daughter: Deidre Hoyle, age 23 (lives in Portland)
Son: Aidan Hoyle, age 20
Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate any degrees you
earned):
High school: Merrimack High School, Merrimack NH
College: Bunker Hill Community College; Emmanuel College, BA
If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:
Occupation: State Representative, HD 14 (West Eugene and Junction City)
Previous employers and when:
Future PAC, House Democratic Leader 2012-2015
United Way of Lane County, Director of the 100% Access Coalition - 2009-2011
Sen Floyd Prozanski Legislative Aid 2009
Burley Design, International Sales Manager, Sales Director 1999- 2004, 2006 2008
Red Flyers Sales and Marketing, Sales Consultant 2004 - 2006
Trek Bicycle Corporation, Company Store Manager, International Warranty Manager, Sales
Manager, Customer Service Representative 1994-1999
Previous to 1994, I worked in bicycle shops in sales and store management and as a waitress.
Military service and when: N/A
Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:
Export Council of Oregon, member 2003 2010, Chair 2006 - 2008
McCornack Elementary PTO President, Vice President and Ways and Means chair 2000 - 2007
Bicycle Transportation Alliance board member 2013 Present
Kidsports Coach for basketball, soccer, T-ball and baseball
Churchill Neighborhood Association member 2000 till present
Stand for Children member 2003 present
Chairperson, Democratic Party of Lane County 2004 2007
Sunday School instructor, St. Albert the Great 1996 1999
I have volunteered on or run the campaigns of many candidates and every school ballot measure
since we moved to Lane County.

Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when:
Democratic Party of Lane County Precinct Committee Person
State Representative 2009-Present
Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
Other prior political and government experience:
Oregon House Majority Leader 2012 - 2015
Chairperson of the Democratic party of Lane county 2004 - 2007
I was appointed and served as a member of the Export Council of Oregon in 2003 2010 and
was the chairperson from 2006 - 2008
If you are running for a position that involves a governing board in Oregon such as city
council, county board of commissioners, Legislature or State Land Board how many meetings
of that board have you attended in person during 2015 and 2016? How many have you watched
online or on TV, if applicable?
I have not attended a Land Board meeting in person but was in regular contact with members of
the land board and DSL staff in my role as State Representative and House Majority Leader. As I
come from an O&C county that has a strong advocates from the timber and environmental
communities, the Land Board is a frequent topic of conversation.
How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information will be made public):
Mail address: P.O. Box 2661 Eugene, OR 97402
E-mail address: vhoyle@valhoyle.com
Web site URL: valhoyle.com
Phone:
Facebook: Val Hoyle
Other social media: Twitter: @RepHoyle
Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.
1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent -- geographically,
economically, politically and socially?
My husband and I moved to Oregon on the basis of the reputation of the schools and the quality
of life. We both had lived all over the world and Oregon is the place we decided we wanted to
raise our children. There arent many states where you can golf, ski, and go to the beach all in the

same day. Without a doubt, we live in one of the most beautiful states in the country with some
of the most incredible people.
I have had the opportunity to represent a district that is a microcosm of the state. Voter
registration is mixed, and most people are less concerned about political parties and more
concerned about issues that affect their day to day lives like whether their children have access to
good schools, and that there are good jobs available where you can get ahead if you work hard,
that government protects those who are most vulnerable, and that they can spend time enjoying
Oregons natural heritage.
I have also come to appreciate and value Oregons regional geographic and economic diversity,
especially as I have traveled the state throughout this campaign. As your Secretary of State I will
work to ensure that the different parts of our state feel like they have a voice in Salem.
Oregonians at our core are a practical people, regardless of what part of the state we are from or
where we fit on the political spectrum. And resourceful. Ive been so excited to see the
resurgence of making whether its craft beer, wine, specialty foods, or small manufacturing.
And we are not afraid to lead, whether its on things like first in the nation bottle bill, public
access and protection of our beaches, or unwavering support for a womans right to choose and
civil rights for all our citizens.
For the last 6 1/2 years I have had the honor of representing West Eugene and Junction City, and
spend a good part of that time as the Majority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives,
where I worked with some really great people to fight to protect the things we all hold dear. I
could not be more proud to call myself an Oregonian.
2. What are the positives and negatives of this region (ward, district, county or state) that you
wish to represent?
Oregon has significantly more positives than negatives. We truly live in one of the most beautiful
places in the world with a rich abundance of natural resources, diverse cultures, and the ability to
have your voice heard in the political process. But, there are some areas we can improve.
Although there is a lot of economic opportunity in the Portland metro area, we dont have the
same opportunity in the rural areas of our state and we are becoming more and more culturally
and politically divided. Furthermore, Oregon has an unstable tax system which makes it difficult
to manage funding critical services for our state like education, human services and public safety.
Between the kicker, measure 5 property tax caps, the lack of a sales tax, we are vulnerable to a
boom and bust cycle in our state funding. I believe strongly that we need to fund our education
system better. Education equals opportunity and without the kind of high quality education
system that we used to be known for, we will have trouble attracting the kind of businesses that
we need to bring here to create jobs.

3. What specific skills and experiences do you bring to the position, especially ones that would
help turn those negatives into positives?
In this race you have 3 qualified individuals running in the Democratic primary with different
management styles and types of experience. What I bring to the job is a strong and proven
collaborative leadership style. I have 25 years of private sector business and management
experience and have been working on campaigns or advocating for political change since 1974. I
got involved in politics in Oregon to fight for better schools for my children, I joined the PTO,
became chair of the local party and eventually ran to become the state representative for House
District 14. After just one term I became House Majority leader and was able to work with a
diverse caucus to accomplish a number of very clear and progressive agenda items while still
working with the more conservative members of my caucus and the House Republicans to make
sure that everyone was able to have some kind of legislative achievement to bring home for their
district. Whether it was as a student government leader, a coach, a community volunteer, in every
job Ive had or as a leader in my caucus, I have been able to get things done by building a strong
team and ensuring that everyone felt that their voice was heard in the process. I have strong
communication skills and can work well with just about everyone, my strength is finding
win/win solutions wherever possible.
4. What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific.
Im the only women and more specifically, the only mother in the race. That is an important
difference. When our government prioritizes what is good for families and children, then all
other problems begin to solve themselves. I am very relationship oriented person and have strong
problem solving skills.
In addition, Im the most qualified to be your next Secretary of State. I bring strong people
management experience from 25 years in the private sector where I successfully managed large
global teams. And I have the leadership skills it takes to get things done in the political and
policy arena, as I did in my 3 legislative sessions as your House Majority Leader.
5. Please list five specific accomplishments that you have achieved in politics or civic affairs:
Passing the law to ensure that background checks are required for private firearm
purchases and that domestic abusers cant purchase guns.
Working with Sen. Peter Courtney to build the Junction City state hospital and pass a
permanent tax to fund access to community mental health services.
Every session since 2011, working with Rep. Vic Gilliam and a strong coalition of
people to pass greater protections for vulnerable seniors.
Being elected Democratic caucus leader and shepherding through legislation like paid
sick leave, clean fuels, tuition equity, expanding access to birth control, passing the
largest education budget in Oregons history, increasing the democratic majority against

the national tide and many other great things while maintaining strong bipartisan
relationships and having a completely open door policy.
After multiple sessions, passing the New Motor Voter bill, which will put ballots in
the hands of over 300,000 eligible voters in Oregon.
6. How much will your Primary Election campaign cost? (be specific)
In total my campaign will cost between $600,000-$700,000
7. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No I have not.
8. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or
been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No I have not.
9. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words
for each issue)
A. Increasing access to the ballot and ensuring stronger voter engagement
B. Supporting stronger campaign transparency to get big money out of our elections
C. Use the audit function of the Secretary of States office to ensure that we use our state
dollars efficiently and effectively, so we have more money to fund critical services like
education and healthcare.
10. What do you see as other important issues?
Other priorities include ensuring that as a member of the Department of State Lands board, I
would support a balanced approach to managing our state forests and protecting navigable
waterways. We should be good stewards of the lands that we are given and have a constitutional
mandate to manage the lands for the benefit of the common school fund. I would continue to
work with small businesses to help them navigate the process of registering with the state. I
would also work to increase our relationships with international trading partners. Exports were
the only area of our economy that grew during the 2009 recession, and it is critical that we focus
on the opportunities that are available to sell Oregon branded products overseas. Finally, as a
member of the board of education, I would be a strong voice to ensure that we are testing
children to give teachers information about what they know and how they learn. I am very
excited about this aspect of the SOS job.
11. What online and/or print publications do you regularly read to keep abreast of issues in the
district you seek to represent?

The Register Guard and the Eugene Weekly. The RG is the only paper that is delivered to my
home and I read it in its entirety daily, I pick up the EW weekly at local establishments. I also
read the Capital Clips and a number of articles from papers around the state, including editorials
and political coverage from the Statesman Journal, the Oregonian, the Portland Tribune and
others.
12. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you should
disclose before it comes up in the campaign? Anything (including health issues) that would affect
your ability to serve your full term? Any changes in your life situation that are contemplated or
expected before the election or before you would take office?
The worst grade I ever received was an F- from the Oregon Firearms Federation because of my
support of common sense background checks for all gun sales. But, that is less than a skeleton
and more of a gold star for me. And the only other literal skeleton in my closet is the one I use
for Halloween decorations.

Honestly, I am pretty open about my life present and past. I am healthy and am planning to fulfill
the entire term of my office should I be elected and intend to run for a second term should I be
given that opportunity.
Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to
Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by April 14, 2016.