Vicki Walker
Encyclopedia
Vicki Lynn Walker is an American
politician
and administrator from Oregon
. She is the Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A member of the Democratic Party
, Walker previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature
and briefly served as chair of the state's Parole Board
. Walker is known as an advocate for utility customers and as an outspoken critic of influential former Governor
Neil Goldschmidt
.
, and graduated from Reedsport High School
in Reedsport, Oregon
, in 1974. She attended the University of Oregon
and graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree
in political science
. After college, Walker was a self-employed court reporter
from 1983, and a certified shorthand
reporter. Walker and her husband Steven live in Eugene
, and have two adult children, Adam and Sara.
Democratic Central Committee. In addition, she served as secretary-treasurer and area representative for the Cal Young Neighborhood Association in Eugene. Walker has also volunteered on campaigns and has helped to fundraise for non-profit organization
s.
. She proposed legislation
making the prevention of youth suicide
a state priority as well as a bill that provides consumers protection from predatory lending
practices. Walker was re-elected in 2000. She served on the Oregon House Judiciary, Criminal Law Subcommittee, Labor and Consumer Affairs, and Smart Growth & Commerce Committees.
Walker was elected to the Oregon State Senate
in November 2002 for the 7th District, covering Eugene
, Junction City
, and Harrisburg
. She served as Vice-Chair of the Business and Labor Committee as well as a member of the Judiciary, Health Policy and General Government Committees. Legislation she sponsored included strengthening workers compensation and establishing civil penalties for e-mail spam
. In 2005, she served as the Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee and Vice Chair of the Energy and Public Lands Committee.
Walker was elected to her second Senate term in 2006, defeating former Eugene mayor Jim Torrey
(R
).
Ted Kulongoski
on many issues and considered challenging his bid for re-election in 2006, but ultimately did not run.
On September 6, 2005, Walker stated, "I'm tired of the status quo, I'm not one of the good ol' boys. The good ol' boys have had a stranglehold over this state for a long time." Walker, who had run only for offices in the Willamette Valley
, would have faced an uphill battle in a statewide race. Fellow Democrat Pete Sorenson
, another Willamette Valley Democrat who did run for Governor in 2006, predicted that Walker would have a hard time raising money for her campaign. A poll done by Mike Riley in late 2005 showed Walker and several other Democratic challengers in single digits.
Another factor that loomed over Walker's gubernatorial candidacy was the possibility that former two-term Governor John Kitzhaber
might enter the race. A December 1, 2005 article asserted that Kitzhaber was considering challenging his predecessor, Kulongoski. Walker said "I wouldn't run against John Kitzhaber. That's the deciding factor."
On January 13, 2006, Kitzhaber said that he would not enter the race, leaving the door open for a possible run by Walker.
However, Walker announced on February 1, 2006 that she would not seek the office, but would instead listen to voters in her State Senate District and run for re-election.
at the time the relationship took place. Walker received the information from Portland Tribune
Columnist
Phil Stanford
about the scandal, though it reportedly was not enough proof to go public. Walker was a longtime critic of Goldschmidt and tried unsuccessfully to prevent his appointment to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education
in January 2004.
A few months later, Walker passed the documents she had received from Stanford to a Willamette Week
newspaper reporter. On May 6, 2004, Goldschmidt confessed publicly to the relationship after being told that an article in Willamette Week was going to be printed about the scandal. The story appeared in the paper less than a week later, and revealed that close friends and colleagues had kept quiet about the relationship for 30 years. Goldschmidt subsequently resigned from the Oregon State Bar
and the Board of Higher Education.
in 2008. She finished third in the Democratic primary to Kate Brown
and Rick Metsger
.
Ted Kulongoski
to a four-year term as chair of Oregon
's Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision
. She resigned from the Oregon State Senate
on July 12, 2009, to begin her new position. In September of that year she withdrew herself for consideration for the position on the board prior to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. Walker did this after state government revenue forecasts determined the state would take in less money than anticipated, and thus a fourth position on the board would not be created as Governor Kulongoski had expected. Walker then took a temporary position with the parole board to last until the end of the year.
On October 30, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
announced that Walker had been appointed as Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and administrator from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. She is the Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Walker previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
and briefly served as chair of the state's Parole Board
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
. Walker is known as an advocate for utility customers and as an outspoken critic of influential former Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
.
Early life
Walker was born in Monroe, WashingtonMonroe, Washington
Monroe is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population as of 17,304 at the 2010 census.-History:The history of Monroe is intertwined with that of the Great Northern Railway which pushed over the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass and worked its way down the Skykomish River...
, and graduated from Reedsport High School
Reedsport Junior/Senior High School
Reedsport Community Charter School is a public school in Reedsport, Oregon, United States that serves middle- and high school-aged students.-History:...
in Reedsport, Oregon
Reedsport, Oregon
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...
, in 1974. She attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. After college, Walker was a self-employed court reporter
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
from 1983, and a certified shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
reporter. Walker and her husband Steven live in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, and have two adult children, Adam and Sara.
Political career
From 1992 to 1994, Walker served as the chair of the Lane CountyLane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
Democratic Central Committee. In addition, she served as secretary-treasurer and area representative for the Cal Young Neighborhood Association in Eugene. Walker has also volunteered on campaigns and has helped to fundraise for non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s.
Oregon Legislature
In November 1998, Walker was elected to the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
. She proposed legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
making the prevention of youth suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
a state priority as well as a bill that provides consumers protection from predatory lending
Predatory lending
Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly...
practices. Walker was re-elected in 2000. She served on the Oregon House Judiciary, Criminal Law Subcommittee, Labor and Consumer Affairs, and Smart Growth & Commerce Committees.
Walker was elected to the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
in November 2002 for the 7th District, covering Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Junction City
Junction City, Oregon
Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,392 at the 2010 census.- History :In the 1870s, Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided this would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail...
, and Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Oregon
Harrisburg is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,795 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. She served as Vice-Chair of the Business and Labor Committee as well as a member of the Judiciary, Health Policy and General Government Committees. Legislation she sponsored included strengthening workers compensation and establishing civil penalties for e-mail spam
E-mail spam
Email spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
. In 2005, she served as the Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee and Vice Chair of the Energy and Public Lands Committee.
Walker was elected to her second Senate term in 2006, defeating former Eugene mayor Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey
Jim Torrey is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He served eight years as mayor of Eugene. Torrey was a Republican candidate for the 2006 Oregon State Senate. He was defeated by incumbent Vicki Walker...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
).
2006 race for Governor
Walker was critical of fellow Democrat GovernorGovernor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Ted Kulongoski
Ted Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
on many issues and considered challenging his bid for re-election in 2006, but ultimately did not run.
On September 6, 2005, Walker stated, "I'm tired of the status quo, I'm not one of the good ol' boys. The good ol' boys have had a stranglehold over this state for a long time." Walker, who had run only for offices in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, would have faced an uphill battle in a statewide race. Fellow Democrat Pete Sorenson
Pete Sorenson
Pete Sorenson is a County Commissioner in Lane County, Oregon. Born in Washoe County, Nevada, Pete is a lawyer and a progressive member of the Democratic Party....
, another Willamette Valley Democrat who did run for Governor in 2006, predicted that Walker would have a hard time raising money for her campaign. A poll done by Mike Riley in late 2005 showed Walker and several other Democratic challengers in single digits.
Another factor that loomed over Walker's gubernatorial candidacy was the possibility that former two-term Governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
might enter the race. A December 1, 2005 article asserted that Kitzhaber was considering challenging his predecessor, Kulongoski. Walker said "I wouldn't run against John Kitzhaber. That's the deciding factor."
On January 13, 2006, Kitzhaber said that he would not enter the race, leaving the door open for a possible run by Walker.
However, Walker announced on February 1, 2006 that she would not seek the office, but would instead listen to voters in her State Senate District and run for re-election.
Goldschmidt scandal
Walker, a sexual assault victim, is partially responsible for forcing former Governor Neil Goldschmidt to admit publicly that he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 1975 which lasted three years. Goldschmidt was Mayor of PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
at the time the relationship took place. Walker received the information from Portland Tribune
Portland Tribune
The Portland Tribune is a free weekly newspaper published each Thursday in Portland, Oregon, United States.The Tribune is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area, and also owns and operates the talk radio station KPAM, and...
Columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
Phil Stanford
Phil Stanford
Phil Stanford is an American journalist and author based in Oregon. Stanford is best known for his work on the murder of Oregon Department of Corrections director Michael Francke and his efforts to prove the innocence of Frank Gable, the man who was convicted of the crime.His 1994 Oregonian series...
about the scandal, though it reportedly was not enough proof to go public. Walker was a longtime critic of Goldschmidt and tried unsuccessfully to prevent his appointment to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education
Oregon State Board of Higher Education
The Oregon State Board of Higher Education is the statutory governing board for the Oregon University System. The board is composed of eleven members appointed by the Governor of Oregon and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate...
in January 2004.
A few months later, Walker passed the documents she had received from Stanford to a Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
newspaper reporter. On May 6, 2004, Goldschmidt confessed publicly to the relationship after being told that an article in Willamette Week was going to be printed about the scandal. The story appeared in the paper less than a week later, and revealed that close friends and colleagues had kept quiet about the relationship for 30 years. Goldschmidt subsequently resigned from the Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
and the Board of Higher Education.
Candidate for Secretary of State
At the conclusion of the 2007 legislative session, Walker announced her candidacy for Oregon Secretary of StateOregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
in 2008. She finished third in the Democratic primary to Kate Brown
Kate Brown (politician)
Kate Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, She is the current Oregon Secretary of State and was elected to that office in the 2008 elections. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Brown served in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 21st senate district,...
and Rick Metsger
Rick Metsger
Richard Thomas "Rick" Metsger is a Democratic politician in the US state of Oregon who served in the Oregon State Senate from 1999 to 2011. He and was also a candidate for Oregon Secretary of State and Oregon State Treasurer...
.
Post legislature
In 2009, Walker was nominated by GovernorGovernor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Ted Kulongoski
Ted Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
to a four-year term as chair of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
. She resigned from the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
on July 12, 2009, to begin her new position. In September of that year she withdrew herself for consideration for the position on the board prior to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. Walker did this after state government revenue forecasts determined the state would take in less money than anticipated, and thus a fourth position on the board would not be created as Governor Kulongoski had expected. Walker then took a temporary position with the parole board to last until the end of the year.
On October 30, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
announced that Walker had been appointed as Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.