ENTERPRISE — The distance between Oregon’s capital city of Salem and Todd Nash’s home near Enterprise in Wallowa County is about 370 miles — a drive of more than seven hours, depending on the weather.

It’s a trip that Nash, 61, has become intimately familiar with, traveling back and forth to meet with lawmakers at the state Capitol. During last year’s legislative session, Nash said he lost count of how many times he made the trip to testify on different bills.

“I probably drive a lot of the lobbyists and legislators crazy during that process,” he said. “But it’s a wonderful feeling to be in a position to represent.”

During the years, Nash has parlayed his experiences as a logger and rancher in far northeast Oregon to become one of the state’s go-to voices on rural issues, particularly those relating to agriculture and natural resources.

Friends and colleagues describe Nash as soft-spoken and genuine, able to fight for his beliefs as well as listen to opposing viewpoints.

“It is obvious that he cares so much about supporting producers and his community,” said Ellie Gage, a fellow cattle rancher who lives in Powell Butte, 25 miles northeast of Bend. “I think he really understands the complexities and economic challenges of small rural communities, because he’s lived it.”

On the ranch

Nash has spent nearly his entire life in rugged Wallowa County, a picturesque landscape dominated by tall mountains and verdant valleys with a little more than 7,500 residents.

He started as a logger, then went to work at the Boise Cascade sawmill in Joseph, which shut down in 1994. Around that time, Nash joined the Marr Flat Cattle Co. as a ranch hand, tending livestock and caring for the animals.

Nash eventually took over operations of the sprawling ranch, running about 900 mother cows on 89,000 acres of private and federal ground. He remembers it would sometimes take him two hours to drive between pastures.

“It was quite an adventure,” he said. “I did that for 25 years. I was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be on that ranch.”

Nash met his wife and business partner, Angie, while she was a student at Eastern Oregon University in nearby La Grande. Together, they have four adult children and six grandchildren, whose ages range from 3 to 15.

By 2018, the family had an important decision to make. Todd had been elected a county commissioner in 2016, and with his new responsibilities they either needed to hire additional help or downsize the ranch. They ultimately chose the latter, forming a new business, T.N. Ranch.

Today, Nash runs 100 head of cattle, most of them on leased land scattered around the area. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Angie now markets their beef direct-to-consumer, focusing on prime genetics and quality.

“We say it’s generally beef that would have been intended for a white tablecloth restaurant,” he said. “It’s been fun to be able to serve up that quality product.”

Nash said he was convinced to run for the board of commissioners by the county Republican Party, replacing former commissioner Mike Hayward. He won the seat in a three-way primary race, securing more than 50% of the vote.

That isn’t the only leadership hat Nash wears. He is also on the executive committee of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, an organization representing the state’s 18,000 cattle ranchers. Nash is the group’s immediate past president.

Tammy Dennee, OCA executive director, described Nash as a “quiet force” with a heart for service. “He’s been very visible in the Capitol during his tenure at OCA,” Dennee said. “He’s been very available to elected officials to build those coalitions, and help those legislators as they’re developing policy.”

Striking a balance

On Sept. 14, Nash announced he is running for the state Senate in District 29. The seat is held by Bill Hansell, a Republican from Athena, who is retiring this year.

Three other candidates have also filed to run in the May Republican primary election, including Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann, former Morrow County commissioner Jim Doherty and Wallowa County resident Andy Huwe.

District 29 covers all of Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam and Sherman counties, and parts of Wasco and Jefferson counties.

“This is radically different than I ever thought. I didn’t see myself ever leaving Wallowa County,” Nash said. “If you’re asked, and you can, do you step up and serve or do you just walk away? I decided to step up.”

Those who know him say Nash is able to gain trust through his plainspoken style, firsthand knowledge of rural Oregon and willingness to listen.

Mary Anne Cooper, former vice president of government and legal affairs for the Oregon Farm Bureau, said she has worked with Nash in the past on issues that broadly affect farmers and ranchers statewide. She said Nash calls things like he sees them, but is willing to adjust his approach when necessary.

“Knowing the right balance between when to stay, when to go, when to push, when to pull … he does a really good job navigating that,” said Cooper, who is a distant cousin to Nash. “He just hits the mark of being a very effective advocate.”