Emerson Levy understands what it means to balance a family budget, because she does it too. She is a working mom who knows the value of a dollar and the pressure many Oregon families feel when trying to pay bills, manage student loans, save for the future, and provide opportunities for their children.
Life is getting more expensive, and too many families feel like they are working harder just to keep up. Emerson believes government should focus on practical solutions that help families get ahead, lower unnecessary costs, and make Oregon a place where working people can build a future.
Emerson has worked to protect consumers and help families keep more of what they earn. She supported stronger utility rate protections to ensure families have a voice when costs increase, including greater review of rate impacts and protections against unnecessary winter rate increases. She also helped ban hidden online fees so Oregonians know the true cost of what they are buying before they check out.
Emerson has fought to protect families from financial hardship by supporting protections that keep medical debt from damaging credit reports. She also helped expand broadband assistance and increase support for utility bill payment programs, ensuring more families can stay connected and afford essential services.
Emerson will continue working on practical solutions that lower costs, protect consumers, and help Oregon families build a stronger financial future.
Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing Central Oregon, and Emerson Levy is focused on practical, bipartisan solutions that increase housing supply and keep our communities strong.
As a member of the House Housing and Homelessness Committee, Emerson Levy has worked across the aisle to increase housing opportunities, reduce homelessness, and help more Oregonians stay in the communities they love.
Emerson supported Oregon’s historic bipartisan investments in housing, helping expand housing production, preserve affordable homes, protect manufactured home residents, invest in housing for seniors and people with disabilities, strengthen shelter services, and prevent large institutional investors from outcompeting Oregon families for homes.
She has also delivered real results for Central Oregon. In Redmond, Bend and Sisters, she has fought for funding for new projects, including 350 units of affordable housing in Redmond and developments across the region that help first time home buyers realize home ownership.
Emerson will continue fighting for practical, bipartisan solutions that expand housing opportunities, invest in local infrastructure, and ensure Central Oregon remains a place where families, seniors, and workers can afford to live and thrive.
Emerson Levy is supported by Oregon’s business community because she understands that a strong economy requires partnership between government, workers, and the people creating jobs across our state. She believes the government should work better for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families while building an economy where Oregon can compete and grow.
Emerson has focused on practical solutions that help businesses succeed and create opportunities across Oregon. She supported efforts to streamline permitting for major projects, helping reduce delays for manufacturing, clean energy, and other investments that bring jobs and economic growth to our communities. She also helped increase the supply of shovel ready industrial sites, making it easier for businesses to grow and invest in Oregon.
Emerson has worked to support small businesses facing challenges beyond their control, including providing targeted relief for businesses impacted by federal tariffs. She also supported investments that strengthen Oregon’s economy and workforce, including funding for major construction projects that support thousands of jobs.
When insurance companies threatened to stop covering Oregon’s recreational businesses, including ski resorts, bike races, and volunteer organizations that help care for our public lands, Emerson stepped up. She brought together a bipartisan group of legislators to update Oregon’s liability laws, protecting recreation opportunities while maintaining important safeguards for public safety.
Emerson believes Oregon’s economy is strongest when we support local businesses, invest in workers, and create an environment where people can build, innovate, and succeed.
Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, no matter where they live. Emerson Levy believes healthcare should focus on delivering better care, expanding access, and making services more affordable for Oregon families.
Emerson has worked to strengthen healthcare access right here in Central Oregon by expanding access to primary care, telehealth, dental care, and mental health services, especially for families who face barriers to getting the care they need.
Emerson has helped protect access to care by supporting local clinics and safety net providers, including efforts that helped keep 13 Oregon clinics operating after federal Medicaid cuts. She has also worked to protect patients from rising costs by supporting protections against surprise ambulance bills and ensuring community health centers can continue accessing critical prescription drug discounts.
Prescription costs are another place she’s seen families get squeezed unfairly. She championed and passed the Co-Pay Fairness Bill, changing how prescription drug costs are calculated so patients aren’t penalized by insurance loopholes
When Emerson learned that young people experiencing mental health crises were spending weeks in emergency rooms because there were not enough safe places for them to receive care, she acted. She secured $3.1 million for youth mental health beds in Central Oregon, a project expected to break ground in 2026. This investment will create one of the first dedicated youth emergency mental health care options on the east side of the Cascades.
Emerson has also secured more than $4 million to expand healthcare access through local clinics, helping more Central Oregon residents receive care closer to home.
Beyond expanding access, Emerson has worked to protect patients and improve how healthcare is delivered. She supported efforts to prevent corporate takeovers of medical practices that can interfere with patient care, reduce unnecessary barriers for behavioral health providers, and strengthen protections for Oregonians seeking healthcare.
School safety is one of my top priorities. I have a young daughter and I deeply understand the fear many parents feel sending their kids to school.
My school safety strategy includes improving emergency response times in schools, increasing school-based health and mental health centers for students, and risk assessments for school entrances and exits.
I brought forward a Silent Panic Alarm Technology bill that was one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation of the entire 2023 legislative session, sponsored by 32 of the 35 House Democrats and all 25 House Republicans. This legislation would provide wireless panic alert devices for schools to use in case of a wide number of emergencies, reducing the precious time it takes to reach first responders. I was able to secure $2.5 million of funding for this technology through the budget process. This important technology is in the process of coming to our schools.
I am the only pro-choice candidate in this race. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, state legislatures have become a battleground for reproductive rights.
I will always protect a woman’s freedom to make her own healthcare decisions. Oregonians have made it clear time and time again that they overwhelmingly support a person’s right to make their own reproductive healthcare choices without government interference.
Protecting the natural resources and beauty that make Central Oregon special is a responsibility Emerson Levy takes seriously. Our forests, rivers, public lands, and open spaces are part of what make this region unique, and we must protect them for future generations.
As Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee for Ways and Means and a member of the Climate, Energy, and Environment Committee, Emerson has worked to balance responsible growth with protecting Oregon’s natural resources.
She voted for the POWER Act, a first-in-the-nation effort to ensure utility costs are fairly shared as Oregon’s energy needs grow, including with new technologies like data centers. Since the POWER Act was passed, Oregonians utility costs have gone down, while data center’s power costs have risen. Emerson Levy will always make sure Central Oregon is focused on lowering rates for people, and making sure data centers pay their fair share
She has also helped secure long-term investments in Oregon’s natural resources, including support for the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife Act, which will provide approximately $38 million annually for fish, wildlife, and habitat conservation across the state. This effort brings together hunters, anglers, landowners, conservation organizations, and community leaders to protect Oregon’s natural heritage.
Emerson is also a champion for Oregon’s state parks and is working to create a public private endowment, inspired by the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, to provide sustainable funding to preserve these treasured places for generations to come.
Emerson will continue working to protect Central Oregon’s natural beauty, support responsible economic growth, and ensure Oregon remains a leader in conservation and innovation.
Our schools are the foundation of Oregon’s future. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and graduate prepared for success in the workforce, higher education, and their community. We must do more to improve reading and math outcomes and prepare students for the future.
Emerson supported record investments in Oregon schools, including $11.4 billion for the State School Fund, helping provide critical resources for more than 545,000 students across the state. She has also supported efforts to improve early literacy by expanding evidence-based reading instruction through summer learning programs and ensuring more children have access to books at an early age through the Oregon Imagination Library, which provides free monthly books to children from birth through age five.
Emerson has also been a leader in reducing distractions in the classroom and protecting student privacy. She helped lead a bipartisan effort to address cell phone use in schools because teachers should be able to focus on teaching and students should be able to focus on learning. She is also working to ensure technology companies cannot misuse or sell student education data while allowing schools to use technology responsibly.
Emerson has worked to make sure every student has the opportunity to succeed, including students facing difficult circumstances. She led legislation requiring immediate school enrollment and transportation services for students experiencing homelessness, helping ensure that thousands of Oregon students can stay connected to their education.
Oregon’s transportation system is at a critical point. Our roads, bridges, and infrastructure need investment, and we must rebuild public trust by delivering results for the communities that rely on them every day.
Emerson Levy believes keeping our transportation system strong requires bipartisan leadership and a practical approach. In the 2027 legislative session, she will work with colleagues from both parties to ensure Oregon has the resources needed to maintain safe roads, keep highways clear, repair potholes, and protect our bridges.
A strong transportation network is essential for families, workers, and businesses across Oregon. As an export-driven state, we need reliable infrastructure that can safely move goods, support local economies, and prepare our communities for the future.
Emerson has also been a leader in improving e-bike safety and protecting vulnerable road users. She championed Trenton’s Law, helping create stronger safety standards and awareness around e-bike use while supporting the continued growth of safe, accessible transportation options for Oregon communities.
Emerson will continue working to find responsible solutions that improve safety, strengthen our infrastructure, and ensure Oregon’s transportation system works for everyone.
Homelessness remains a challenge for our community, but Central Oregon is making meaningful progress. Deschutes County has seen a 19 percent reduction in overall homelessness and a 25 percent reduction in youth homelessness, showing that targeted investments and community partnerships can make a difference.
Emerson believes the best way to address adult homelessness is to prevent youth homelessness before it becomes a lifelong challenge. She helped secure $1.4 million to establish a youth homelessness shelter in Redmond. Today, that shelter is open and provides young people experiencing homelessness with a safe place to stay, supportive services, and a pathway toward stability.
Emerson has also worked to protect vulnerable students, including children experiencing homelessness and youth in foster care. She helped ensure students can remain in their school of origin when possible, providing stability and consistency even when their living situation changes. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, succeed, and have a dependable support system.
Wildfires are changing the way we live in Central Oregon and across our state. Our communities have experienced the fear and disruption that comes when fires threaten our homes, forests, and way of life. Preparing for wildfires is not just about responding to fires, it is about reducing risks before they start.
Emerson believes Oregon needs a stronger, year-round wildland firefighting workforce. Each fire season, communities face challenges finding enough trained personnel to respond, and building a reliable workforce is essential to protecting our homes, communities, and natural resources.
Emerson will continue supporting programs like the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, which trains young people in wildfire response and prevention while creating opportunities for the next generation of conservation leaders.
Working with Senator Anthony Broadman, Emerson helped pass House Bill 3940, creating Oregon’s first dedicated funding source for wildfire mitigation projects. This investment supports proactive efforts like prescribed burns, forest thinning, and fuel reduction to help lower wildfire risks and protect communities before disaster strikes.
Emerson will continue working on practical solutions that improve wildfire preparedness, protect Central Oregon communities, and ensure Oregon is ready for the challenges of a changing climate.
Water is not an abstract issue in Central Oregon. It’s the difference between a working ranch and a dry field, a growing community and one that’s outgrown its supply. Emerson has been part of nearly every major water conversation in the Legislature because she understands how much is riding on getting this right for both agriculture and the families moving into the region.
She championed the Deschutes Basin Water Banking Bill, a market-based approach designed to let water move to where it’s needed most without trampling the rights of the farmers and ranchers who depend on it. She also backed stronger groundwater accountability measures to make sure Oregon is actually tracking and managing what’s being used before it becomes a crisis.
Emerson will keep working on practical water solutions that protect agricultural livelihoods, support smart growth, and make sure Central Oregon isn’t caught flat-footed by the water challenges ahead.