The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA-On May 16, 2022, Jeff Strickler announced his campaign for State Representative Position 1 in the 16th Legislative District as a Democrat. A resident of Walla Walla since 2010, Strickler came to the area because of his connections to Eastern Washington and a desire to raise his family in a rural, small-town setting.

"I'm running for office because we need advocates in Olympia who share our values and will focus on issues versus divisive, partisan politics," Strickler said. "The people of our district deserve a leader who understands the challenges we are facing: the need for economic development that will enable people to afford housing, the burdensome costs of child and health care, and the threat extreme climate variations pose to our farmers." 

As a youth spending summers with family in Eastern Oregon, Strickler would often hear comments about how "there could no longer be a life in farming" and he would often see ranch families like his own seemingly shut out of policy decision-making.

"Our farm communities and the agrarian areas of our district represent a vital link to our identity as Washingtonians, and to the values and commerce of our state."

Strickler graduated from Luther College in Iowa with a B.A. in Computer Science and Business Management. He got his professional start in the software industry, running his own consulting practice and traveling to help clients around the world.

After twenty years in software, Strickler transitioned to a career in residential and commercial real estate, which has given him a deeper insight and understanding of housing policy and the housing needs of our district. From his time as a successful software consultant operating his own business, to his work as a Realtor®, Strickler has built a commendable reputation as a self-starting entrepreneur with strong leadership skills who brings people together.

The son of a schoolteacher, Strickler feels passionately that public education is an essential resource for our children and a vital investment in our state's future. Strickler believes the key to maintaining our commitment to our children and building an economy that will give them their best chance for success is to address costs surrounding health care, child care, and housing, which serve as obstacles for working families seeking to provide the best environment for their children.

"When I talk about economic development, the environment, and housing, it's because these are critical issues that affect all of us and set the foundation for our way of life.

"I witnessed firsthand how not having a functional and affordable health-care system affected my 45-year-old cousin who suffered sudden cardiac arrest. His death was directly attributable to the cost of health care and fears surrounding seeking preventative care due to lack of health insurance.

"As a working parent, I see what child care costs and how important it is to protect and support public education and community programs. Likewise, I've seen neighbors move away because they could not sustain a life here due to lack of industry.

"I came to Walla Walla in large part to give my family a rural, agrarian, small-town, close-to-nature lifestyle, aware that it was a career tradeoff to work away from the technology hubs found in larger cities. So yes, I want this region to prosper and for us to have smart, thoughtful leaders in place who factor in the historical and present view in complement to a long-term outlook so we can all benefit and thrive as a community."

CONTACT: Jeff Strickler

phone, (509) 540-5027,

email, contact@electjeffstrickler.com