Dennis Linthicum

Dennis Linthicum

Republican Party

Oregon State Senate District 28

Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

7

Compensation

Base salary

$35,052/year

Per diem

$157/day

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

High school

Palm Springs High School

Bachelor's

University of California, Los Angeles, 1978

Graduate

Biola University, 2010

Personal

Birthplace

Pasadena, Calif.

Religion

Christian: Nondenominational

Profession

Vice president

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Campaign website

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

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Dennis Linthicum (Republican Party) is a member of the Oregon State Senate, representing District 28. He assumed office in 2017. His current term ends on January 13, 2025.

Linthicum (Republican Party, Constitution Party) ran for election for Oregon Secretary of State. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.

Linthicum completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Dennis Linthicum was born in Pasadena, California. Linthucum earned a high school diploma from Palm Springs High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1978, a graduate degree from Biola University in 2010, and attended the University of California, Irvine. His career experience includes working as a vice president, economist, and contractor. He has been affiliated with the Oregon Right to Life, Oregon Firearms Federation, and Oregon Republican Party.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Linthicum was assigned to the following committees:

• Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation Committee
• Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee

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2021-2022

Linthicum was assigned to the following committees:

• Housing and Development Committee, Vice chair
• Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation Committee
• Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee

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2019-2020

Linthicum was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Information Management and Technology Committee
• Senate Health Care Committee, Vice-Chair
• Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation Committee

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2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Oregon committee assignments, 2017
• Education, Vice chair
• Judiciary
• Joint Legislative Information Management and Technology

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.

Elections

2024

See also: Oregon Secretary of State election, 2024

General election

General election for Oregon Secretary of State

Tobias Read defeated Dennis Linthicum and Nathalie Paravicini in the general election for Oregon Secretary of State on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tobias Read (D / Working Families Party / Independent Party)	53.9	957,592
		Dennis Linthicum (R / Constitution Party)	43.0	763,648
		Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party / Progressive Party)	3.1	54,248
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,764

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 1,777,252
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon Secretary of State

Tobias Read defeated James Manning, Jim Crary, Paul Damian Wells, and Dave Stauffer in the Democratic primary for Oregon Secretary of State on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tobias Read	69.4	303,089
		James Manning	22.3	97,427
		Jim Crary	3.7	16,340
		Paul Damian Wells	2.2	9,425
		Dave Stauffer	1.8	7,921
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	2,515

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 436,717
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon Secretary of State

Dennis Linthicum defeated Brent Barker and Tim McCloud in the Republican primary for Oregon Secretary of State on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Linthicum	66.0	199,243
		Brent Barker	20.2	61,011
		Tim McCloud	13.0	39,109
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	2,560

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 301,923
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Linthicum in this election.

State Senate

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2024

Dennis Linthicum did not file to run for re-election.

2020

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oregon State Senate District 28

Incumbent Dennis Linthicum defeated Hugh Palcic in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 28 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Linthicum (R)	72.7	54,800
		Hugh Palcic (D / Independent)	27.1	20,444
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	102

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,346
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 28

Hugh Palcic advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 28 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hugh Palcic	97.1	7,012
		Other/Write-in votes	2.9	206

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,218
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 28

Incumbent Dennis Linthicum advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 28 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Linthicum	99.1	19,850
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	176

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,026
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Oregon State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2016. Incumbent Doug Whitsett (R) did not seek re-election.

Dennis Linthicum defeated Todd Kepple in the Oregon State Senate District 28 general election.

Oregon State Senate, District 28 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dennis Linthicum	61.59%	37,119
	Democratic	Todd Kepple	38.41%	23,153
Total Votes				60,272
Source: Oregon Secretary of State

Dennis Linthicum ran unopposed in the Oregon State Senate District 28 Republican primary.

Oregon State Senate, District 28 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Dennis Linthicum  (unopposed)

2014

See also: Oregon's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Linthicum ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 2ndDistrict. Linthicum lost the Republican nomination in the primary on May 20, 2014. He was defeated by Greg Walden in the primary.

U.S. House, Oregon District 2 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Greg Walden Incumbent	75.9%	62,957
Dennis Linthicum	24.1%	19,936
Total Votes		82,893
Source: Results via Associated Press

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dennis Linthicum completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Linthicum's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am currently the State Senator for District 28, including parts of No. Eastern Jackson County, Southern Deschutes County, and all of Klamath County. Before the last redistricting effort, Senate District 28 included all of Lake and all of Crook Counties. I have also served as a Klamath County Commissioner.

With my background as a trained economist and being a former Sr. VP of MIS, a former Oregon Construction Contractor Board license holder, and currently a rancher deeply engaged in land management and sustainability issues, I bring a wealth of technical and managerial expertise to the table.

My extensive experience uniquely positions me to unlock the full potential of individuals and seize service opportunities to achieve positive outcomes for all Oregonians. 

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• An even, open-handed and transparent ethic is needed in Oregon's Secretary of State office where the majority of voters feel uncertain about the validity of the mail-in voter process and a majority of republican voters sense their disenfranchisment from the electoral process. The current information censorship issues that plague Oregon politics and the frightfully damaged integrity issues that are raised by voters can only be resolved with substantive alterations to the single-party dominance that has eroded public faith. The public sector will benefit from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture of an information gate keeper who is unwilling to disclose public information.
• Effective governance and accountability requires timely and accurate audits from departments and agencies that have a statewide impact. In particular, departments such as Education, Environmental Quality, Water Resources, Transportation, and Justice. These departments typically handle significant budgets and have a direct impact on citizens' daily lives. Conducting regular audits in these areas helps identify areas for improvement, ensures regulatory compliance, and can help the legislative bodies optimize future resource allocations.
• Oregon's apparent disregard for election integrity and related ballot concerns is a spreading canker which is eating into the heart and soul of our representative model of governance. The majority party likes to make claims about "saving our democracy" but their calls are ineffective against the onslaught of corruption that is eating away at the integrity of all party office holders. The pathway to vice, political grift and corruption comes from the majority party’s reliance on their own authority growing from their unique position as the longtime partisan controller of all things governmental. This is economically and socially destructive. My successful candidacy will help shift that lop-sided and oppressive dynamic.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Oregon has paved a freeway to fraud with all of its ridiculous variations for increasing voter registration. More voters, ballots, and sign-up methodologies can never ensure accuracy, accountability or integrity in the electoral process.

Roger Moorhouse documents in, The Devils’ Alliance, that after the German-Soviet Treaty of Non-Aggression (1939), “Only approved candidates were permitted to stand, all others were removed from the ballot and arrested. … Voting was compulsory, with those spoiling their ballot or refusing to vote risking arrest.”

The result was 99%, 97% and 93% approval for all candidates in Lithuania, Latvian and Estonia, respectfully. More voters and ballots can’t fix what’s broken in single-party authoritarianism.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Secretary of State’s office fulfills four essential services. Firstly, it oversees elections and ensures their integrity, a duty that I believe has greatly suffered under a prevailing single-party mindset that has long beleaguered Oregon.

Repairing this tarnished image will be a primary focus, since public perception and trust in the electoral process has been severely impacted. Transparency and genuine empathy for divergent perspectives is lacking because the office seems to prioritize the majority party's narrative over its fiduciary responsibility. This needs to be corrected to ensure fair and open access to voters. 

Secondly, the office is responsible for auditing executive branch offices and departments. The auditing function is a proficiency test for these executive agencies.  Like proficiency standards for high-school graduates, audits provide a metric to measure performance and identify areas for improvement. Timely, accurate, and comprehensive audits are necessary to enhance departmental efficiency and service.
 
The Secretary of State also serves two other major roles, one as a member of the State Land Board and the other, as the chair of the Oregon Sustainability Board.

My rural lifestyle, having lived off-the-grid for 30 years, plus my deep background in the agricultural and ranching communities provides me with strategic insight into issues facing all Oregonians.

I bring a well-rounded understanding of the issues facing sustainable land use and the symbiotic relationship needed for private sector productivity, which is a major contributor to Oregon’s economy, and the resource demands for metro, commercial and industrial products. All in all, natural resources represent a majority of the economic productivity flowing from Oregon’s forest, agriculture, farming and mineral communities.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher, and the author and economist Ludwig von Mises. The last for his wisdom in applying a strict and rigorous approach to economic thought and theory in his numerous books and research observations.

The other two individuals, the American President and the English Prime Minister, both serve as examples because, first, they both brought an abundance of astute common-sense. This allowed them to clearly observe, weigh and understand human nature. Secondly, they both had an immensely practical ability to construct positive, large-scale and successful examples of a well-ordered social order which we can proudly hail as being exemplary forms of self-governance.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Anyone building a personal library of liberty must read, contemplate, and re-read Frédéric Bastiat's classic essay, "The Law." https://cdn.mises.org/thelaw.pdf

I'll quote form Thomas J. DiLorenzo's forward to the 2007 copy:

It is remarkable, in reading "The Law," how perfectly accurate Bastiat was in describing the statists of his day which, it turns out, were not much different from the statists of today or any other day.

The French "socialists" of Bastiat's day espoused doctrines that perverted charity, education, and morals, for one thing. True charity does not begin with the robbery of taxation, he pointed out. Government schooling is inevitably an exercise in statist brainwashing, not genuine education; and it is hardly "moral" for a large gang (government) to (legally) rob one segment of the population, keep most of the loot, and share a little of it with various "needy" individuals.

Socialists want "to play God," Bastiat observed, anticipating all the future tyrants and despots of the world who would try to remake the world in their image, whether that image would be communism, fascism, the "glorious union," or "global democracy."

Bastiat also observed that socialists wanted forced conformity; rigid regimentation of the population through pervasive regulation; forced equality of wealth; and dictatorship. As such, they were the mortal enemies of liberty.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Thomas Jefferson outlined several important factors for people in all areas of life. I think these apply to elected office-holders, too. Embedded our Declaration of Independence, he highlights these character traits as the core/creedal values of the colonist. These are, wisdom, justice, courage, and more importantly, restraint. In turn, philosophers have divided wisdom or prudence into sub-categories such as, common-sense, accurate calculation, quick-wittedness, discretion, and resourcefulness. In turn, justice gets subdivided into the following deeply rooted personal attributes or characteristics composed of piety, honesty, equity, and fair dealing.

It is interesting to note, these are all personal character traits. No government can never possess, harness, or discharge honesty or equity because these are human traits. These traits belong only to human persons, or individuals.

This is why Jefferson placed so much importance on the individual, and their inherent and sacred rights:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

With my background as a trained economist and being a former Sr. VP of MIS, a former Oregon Construction Contractor Board license holder, and currently a rancher deeply engaged in land management and sustainability issues, I bring a wealth of technical and managerial expertise to the table.

My extensive experience uniquely positions me to unlock the full potential of individuals and seize service opportunities to achieve positive outcomes for all Oregonians. 

Additionally, my rural lifestyle (having lived off-the-grid for the past 30 years) plus my deep background in the agricultural and ranching communities provides me with strategic insight into issues facing all Oregonians.

I bring a well-rounded understanding of the issues facing sustainable land use and the symbiotic relationship needed for private sector productivity. This is a vital component of Oregon’s economy and represents a majority of Oregon’s forest, agriculture, and mineral resource opportunities.
 

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Elected office-holders have two fundamental fiduciary responsibilities: to adhere to their Constitutional obligations and defend the Lives, Liberties and property (or pocketbooks) of their constituencies.

They are not in office to control, tax, or regulate their constituents. They are not in office to answer the millions of disparate needs of any group over another group, or any person over any other person – because doing so would require funding and/or resources that government does not have unless government turns itself into an over-bearing confiscator of the lives, liberties and property of some targeted producer.

In short, your representatives are not in office to secure funding for local projects, commonly known as , "bringing home the bacon." Rather they exist in elected positions to to defend your farm, your business or your pocketbook from the progressives who are never satisfied and always want more.

Elected office-holders should remember their duty is to, "save the bacon that is produced and harvested in their communities." Otherwise someone else will be eating high on the hog.

As Frédéric Bastiat warned us, "all the collective forces of the nation—the law— [has] become the tool of every kind of avarice, instead of being its check!"

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy of being a true and consistent constitutional conservative.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Gemini and Apollo missions with the thrill of the first moon-landing. I was 12 or 13-year-old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a newspaper delivery boy, on a bike with handle-bar bags for holding the papers. I probably did that for two 6 month seasons...

What is your favorite book? Why?

William Shirer's Diary Trilogy, which is a first-hand account of his time as a correspondent for CBS during World War II. Shirer presents a beautifully personal account of the tragedy that befell Europe and the World because people failed to face-up the stark realities of maniacal totalitarianism.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

The Deerslayer

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

This little Light of Mine...

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have been an Insulin dependent, Type I diabetic since I was in my teens.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Common-sense, knowledge, wisdom and personal integrity are invaluable responsibilities for every office-holder. The technical details of every position may be different, but these personal attributes are key to managing policy requirements and the hard truths of the real world.

This is particularly true for the Secretary of State's (SoS) office. The public might put their voices behind any number of issues, which the SoS office must treat with the same openness, fairness and frank appraisals that every other initiative or measure are due.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, as this hinders the development of innovative thought and fresh ideas.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

First is a well-rounded understanding or background in technical and computational knowledge regarding data collection, verification, cleansing, and presentation skills. Next, personal skill for dealing with real people, in real circumstances and in meaningful professional relationships is extremely important.

Genuine pride in one's work emerges organically when sincere efforts are made to address serious questions raised by either internal or external interactions. This vibrant response, in turn, will cause a cascading change in internal and external perceptions.

Just as individuals in the private sector value transparent information exchange, so too the public sector benefits from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture an elite, "holder of the keys to knowledge and wisdom."

The information censorship issues that plague Oregon politics can be resolved by my leadership style.
 
In turn, when election office employees feel their honest efforts are truly valued then they work with increased diligence, pride, and dedication while nobly fulfilling their obligations to the public.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Knock, Knock...

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Oregon Right to Life PAC, Oregon Firearms Federation PAC, Senator Brian Boquist, Senator Kim Thatcher, Senator Art Robinson.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

As can be seen on the home webpage for Oregon's Secretary of State, the office has pledged to focus on integrity - grounded in transparency, accountability and fairness. I would stress these principles and ensure follow-up within the office to improve on all three of aspects of integrity.

People become fearful and start looking for, or imagining,  fraudulent manipulations when legitimate questions have been raised but not appropriately addressed. Often the information is locked away because the truth reflects poorly on those in power. In one specific instance, I requested ballot images for one county. The information was available but hidden behind an unconscionable fee of $982,896.17. In round numbers that is a $1 million fee for data that the public rightly owns and county elections officers are required to keep for two years–so that the public can peruse the data.

Address wholesale transparency is required in order to address this serious problem. Openness on its face will change public perception.

Just as individuals in the private sector value transparent information exchange, so too the public sector benefits from openness and collaboration rather than resorting to the defensive posture of an information gate keeper.
 
In turn, when election office employees feel their honest efforts are truly valued then they work with increased diligence, pride, and dedication while nobly fulfilling their obligations to the public.

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.

Campaign website

Linthicum’s campaign website stated the following:

“	A Distinctive Difference in District #28 Dennis will provide consistent representation for all residents in Oregon's Senate District #28. Dennis will promote the sustainable management for Oregon's incredible natural resources. Dennis will provide needed expertise for the critical analysis of taxpayer liabilities. Dennis will adhere to constitutional restrictions to prevent Federal and State regulatory over-reach. Dennis will encourage job growth through a healthy private-sector economy. Dennis will promote a sustainable public-sector economy — providing services while avoiding run-away spending. Dennis opposes the recently announced private Dam Removal Plan being sponsored by PacifiCorp. Dennis will curtail needless government regulation, rules and other hindrances to private-sector businesses.	”
—Dennis Linthicum’s campaign website (2024)

2020

Dennis Linthicum did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Linthicum's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Life & Liberty

• Excerpt: "I believe in constitution­ally limited government, freedom to assemble and personal inde­pendence. I will give voice to these principles in Oregon’s legislature. Oregon is a land of fearless innovators, hopeful pioneers and hard-working dreamers. I will be a voice for each one of you in Oregon’s legislature, ensuring that our liberties are maintained and we all have freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness in our great state."

Property

• Excerpt: "Endless federal over-reach in land, water, timber and mineral resource management is hampering our economy. Natural events, compounded by federal mismanagement and ceaseless litigation, have destroyed giant swaths of our public and private lands. The results are public access road closures, scarred watersheds, lost wilderness habitat and job opportunities. Local control by the men and women who live, work and play in Oregon’s resource-rich environment can bring resilience back into our communities and economies."

Government

• Excerpt: "Oregon’s progressive legislature is renowned for its pork barrel spending, hastily passed ‘emergency’ legislation, partisan totalitarianism, and a penchant for stripping citizens of their right to self-defense. The public is rightfully dissatisfied by Salem because of their deafness to rural Oregon’s needs and spend-thrift cronyism."

Action

• Excerpt: "I will be your voice against bloated bureaucracies. As your state senator, I will stand up for Oregon’s natural opportunities. We are blessed with bountiful timber, water, farmland, ranch land, technology, recreation and mineral resources - plus the people who make our state a wonderful place to live and work. I will fight for your right to pursue these opportunities and make our communities more prosperous in the process."

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Dennis Linthicum campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Oregon Secretary of State	Lost general	$339,668	$276,954
2020	Oregon State Senate District 28	Won general	$217,993	N/A**
2016	Oregon State Senate, District 28	Won	$73,824	N/A**
Grand total			$631,485	$276,954
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Endorsements

2016

In 2016, Linthicum's endorsements included the following:

• Doug Whitsett, State Senator
• Gail Whitsett, State Representative
• Oregon Right to Life PAC
• Oregon Firearms Federation PAC
• Tom Mallams, Commissioner - Klamath County
• Colleen Roberts, Commissioner - Jackson County

Noteworthy events

Ineligibility for re-election (2023)

See also: Noteworthy state legislative walkouts

On February 1, 2024, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled to uphold the decision of the Oregon Secretary of State to disqualify the 10 members of the Oregon State Senate from seeking re-election.

On August 8, 2023, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade (D) announced that ten legislators who participated in the walkout would be barred from re-election in 2024 under Oregon Measure 113.

In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R) said "We believe the plain language of Measure 113 allows for members to run again in 2024 elections. We disagree with the Secretary of State’s determination and will challenge it in court.”

On May 15, 2023, Senators Daniel Bonham (R), Dennis Linthicum (R), and Brian Boquist (I) became ineligible for re-election under Measure 113 when they accrued their 10th unexcused absence following a Republican walkout of the State Senate. Oregon voters passed Measure 113 in 2022.

The walkout began on May 3, 2023, when all but two members of the Oregon Republican Senate caucus were absent from the legislative session preventing a quorum. As of June 1, the following 10 members of the Oregon State Senate involved with the walkout met the 10 unexcused absence threshold and are barred under Measure 113 from re-election:

• Daniel Bonham (R)
• Dennis Linthicum (R)
• Brian Boquist (I)
• Cedric Hayden (R)
• Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R)
• Art Robinson (R)
• Kim Thatcher (R)
• Suzanne Weber (R)
• Lynn Findley (R)
• Bill Hansell (R)

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Oregon

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.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Oregon scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from January 17 to June 25. Humane Oregon: Senate and House Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. Oregon AFSCME Legislators are scored on their votes on labor issues. Oregon League of Conservation Voters: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from February 1 to March 4. Humane Oregon: Senate and House Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Oregon AFSCME Legislators are scored on their votes on labor issues. Oregon League of Conservation Voters: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment. Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their stances related to taxes, economic development, housing, environmental regulations, and business.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from January 21 to June 26. Humane Oregon: Senate and House Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. Oregon League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment. Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their stances related to taxes, economic development, housing, environmental regulations, and business. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from February 3 to March 5. Special sessions were convened from June 24 to June 26 and on August 10. Humane Oregon: Senate and House Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Stand for Children Oregon Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].

In 2019, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from January 22 through June 30. Humane Oregon House and Senate Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. Oregon League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored based on their voting record for bills relating to conservation. Oregon State Public Interest Research Group Legislators are scored on their votes related to issues important to the organization. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].

In 2018, the 79th Oregon State Legislature, second session, was in session from February 5 through March 3. There was also a one-day special session on May 21, 2018. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to small business issues. Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills affecting local businesses. Oregon State Public Interest Research Group Legislators are scored on their votes related to issues important to the organization. SEIU 503 Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the union's priorities. Stand for Children Oregon Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the 79th Oregon State Legislature, first session, was in session from February 1 through July 7. There was also an organizational session January 9. American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon Legislators are scored based on their voting record for bills relating to civil liberties. Humane Oregon Senate and House Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues. Oregon League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored based on their voting record for bills relating to conservation. Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored based on their votes on House and Senate bills. Oregon State Public Interest Research Group Legislators are scored based on their support of issues important to the organization. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Linthicum and his wife, Diane, live in Klamath County, Oregon. They have four children.

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Oregon Secretary of State

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Oregon State Senate District 28

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Oregon State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Rob Wagner

Majority Leader:Kathleen Taylor

Minority Leader:Daniel Bonham

Senators

District 1

David Smith (R)

District 2

Art Robinson (R)

District 3

Jeff Golden (D)

District 4

Floyd Prozanski (D)

District 5

Dick Anderson (R)

District 6

Cedric Hayden (R)

District 7

James Manning (D)

District 8

Sara Gelser Blouin (D)

District 9

Fred Girod (R)

District 10

Deb Patterson (D)

District 11

Kim Thatcher (R)

District 12

Brian Boquist (I)

District 13

Aaron Woods (D)

District 14

Kate Lieber (D)

District 15

Janeen Sollman (D)

District 16

Suzanne Weber (R)

District 17

Vacant

District 18

WInsvey Campos (D)

District 19

Rob Wagner (D)

District 20

Mark Meek (D)

District 21

Kathleen Taylor (D)

District 22

Lew Frederick (D)

District 23

Michael Dembrow (D)

District 24

Kayse Jama (D)

District 25

Chris Gorsek (D)

District 26

Daniel Bonham (R)

District 27

Tim Knopp (R)

District 28

Dennis Linthicum (R)

District 29

Bill Hansell (R)

District 30

Lynn Findley (R)

Democratic Party (16)

Republican Party (12)

Independent Party of Oregon (1)

Vacancies (1)