In 1977, a little kid in Cottage Grove, Oregon learned that his school was shutting down due to a lack of public funding. He was 14 years old. Most kids at that age would have celebrated wildly at their newfound freedom – an endless summer most of us (still) long for.

But this kid was different. He wanted an education. He didn’t want to fall behind just because his local government was falling behind. So, despite being only 14, he applied to the University of Oregon. They accepted him. He finished college at 18 but his thirst for more education was not over. He applied to Harvard Law School. They accepted him.

At 21, he graduated from Harvard Law. That’s when his thirst changed. Instead of wanting more for himself, he made a choice to dedicate his life to giving back. He joined the Department of Justice and served as a United States Attorney for almost a decade. He enforced the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. He was so good at prosecuting big polluters, he was assigned the Lead Counsel for the famous ‘Love Canal’ trial. He won on behalf of the People, but I’m sure there plenty of animals, trees and rivers that were true beneficiaries, as well.

At 34, he became the Chief of Staff for the Oregon State Democrats. The party picked up three new seats in the 1998 election. Then he was chosen to be the Executive Director of the Center for Constructive Citizen Action, a group that fought Bill Sizemore’s Measure 91.

At 39, he was asked by Ted Kulongoski to serve as Policy Director for the Governor’s first successful campaign. Thereafter, he helped Citizens for Oregon’s Future, an organization that helps taxpayers. He built a curriculum called ‘balance the state budget’ used by Oregon high school teachers to help students understand the state budget and how their parents’ tax dollars were being spent.

He turned 45 today - an entire life dedicated to public service. But his life is more than what he’s done. It’s not a story that’s over. It’s just a story that’s finally getting told.

His name is Steve Novick. He is an Oregon Democrat running for the United States Senate. You can learn about the issues he stands for by visiting the campaign website www.novickforsenate.com.

If you want a U.S. Senator who left behind the swim hole at age 14 to learn the leadership skills necessary to get us out of the sinkhole the Bush Administration and Gordon Smith have put us in, then I urge you consider voting for Steve Novick for your next U.S. Senator.

Categories: Politics