A forum Wednesday for Oregon House candidates representing Bend and Redmond was overshadowed by partisan politics when a rowdy crowd of supporters of Republican candidate Michael Sipe heckled his Democratic opponent, Emerson Levy.

The forum, sponsored by the Bend Chamber of Commerce, was meant to give candidates for House districts 53 and 54 a platform to discuss their policy goals. Instead, audience members carrying Sipe-branded campaign paraphernalia interrupted and mocked Levy.

Immediately after the forum, Democrats went on social media to call out forum organizers for allowing what Levy’s supporters said was an audience of mostly Sipe supporters who came to boo and heckle instead of listen.

Sipe and Levy are running for House District 53, which represents the north part of Bend, south part of Redmond and Tumalo area.

“Tonight I was excited to talk to the business community at the Bend Chamber event, instead my opponent got all of the tickets, every time I spoke grown women heckled me when I stood to speak and while I spoke. My opponent mocked me, my profession and my age,” Levy tweeted after the event.

Almost an hour into the event, as Levy was in the midst of answering a question about how to support small businesses in Central Oregon, a member of the crowd shouted an indistinguishable comment at her.

She stopped her answer in her tracks. “I just want to acknowledge that our campaign was not allowed to invite a single person because all the tickets were taken, and this is a rather uncomfortable forum for us,” Levy said.

The crowd responded with a chorus of “Aww,” and, “That’s so sad.”

Levy said the crowd had been making faces at her, jeering and heckling as she answered Chamber questions. Some audience members held Sipe-branded flying discs in front of their faces as she spoke.

Allen Martin, the moderator of the event and an anchor for Central Oregon Daily news, didn’t say anything to discourage the crowd after Levy was interrupted. Only at the beginning of the forum during the candidates’ opening statements did Martin ask the audience to refrain from speaking or cheering while candidates were answering their questions.

Levy, a lawyer who lives in Bend, told The Bulletin on Thursday, “I really appreciate both the Bend Chamber for hosting this event and the moderator for being so professional. Clearly, not all circumstances in the room were ideal.”

Sipe, a business consultant based in Tumalo, said he only reserved three tickets for the event — one for his wife and two for members of his campaign.

“I’m innocent. I just showed up to do my best,” he told The Bulletin on Thursday. He said many of the people there he was meeting for the first time.

Chamber administrative staff actively monitored the rest of the event as the formal, Chamber-written questions ended with Levy’s complaint, and a public question-and-answer session began. Attendees had the opportunity, after the designated Chamber questions, to submit their own questions via QR code.

Katy Brooks, chief executive officer of the Bend Chamber, said there were many questions submitted by the audience that weren’t appropriate.

“There was certainly a lot more folks there that were supporters of him (Sipe),” Brooks told The Bulletin.

She said the Chamber-hosted forums are meant to focus on the issues local businesses are facing every day — like the lack of affordable housing, child care, the labor deficit, inflation and wildfire management.

“Last night’s mix was different,” Brooks said. “What we saw was people showing up who were not representing the business community.”

Wednesday’s forum caused Brooks to reconsider how the Chamber will conduct future political events, she said. Monday, the Chamber is hosting a sold-out forum for Bend’s City Council and mayoral candidates. Brooks said that forum will look a lot different than Wednesday’s not because of the controversy that ensued but because of the sheer number of candidates. She said it would be more fast-paced with more opportunity for audience members to have one-on-one time with the candidates.

The forum as a whole dissolved into a battle of ideology rather than position, with Sipe and Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, debating each other instead of their own opponents on climate change. Kropf, the incumbent, is facing Republican Judy Trego in the race for House District 54.

The forum was Trego’s first ever political debate. She said she wants to prioritize balance in Salem with strategies to address houselessness, education gaps and a lack of housing in Bend. Both she and Sipe mentioned Oregon’s loss of an Intel semiconductor manufacturing site as a major shortcoming of state legislators.

“We need to inventory our land for business growth,” Trego said. “We cannot let another Intel situation happen here in Oregon.”

On the topic of Bend’s lack of affordable housing, Trego said ripple effects take a toll on employment opportunities in the area, and Bend fails to compete with Eugene, Portland and Salem. “We need to reduce the cost and improve the time it takes to build by encouraging the city and county to expedite permit processes for missing middle and affordable housing,” she said.

Trego, who said she prides herself on her bipartisanship, also proposed property tax reductions for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and people with limited means.

Kropf advocated for more dense neighborhoods and public dollars as solutions to Bend’s lack of housing supply.

“It’s going to take a level of density in certain parts of our community like what’s happening here in the Central District,” Kropf said. “It’s going to take different modalities of housing. It’s going to take a commitment to funding those affordable workforce housing projects. They do not happen without public dollars.”

He cited his success with House Bill 3318, which allows cities to purchase state land specifically for “complete communities” that include affordable and workforce housing, parks and commercial space with employment opportunities.

An audience member asked Sipe and Levy about a gubernatorial executive order requiring the implementation of climate friendly and equitable policies in Oregon cities.

“We really need a system of accountability with any state dollars to make sure that we are meeting our goals, that the project matches our standard and so that we’re making sure we’re not wasting tax dollars,” Levy said.

Sipe favors a balanced approach to climate change that protects both natural resources and the economy.

“We need a new governor,” Sipe said. “We’re moving way too fast, and we’re moving too fast through mandates.”

He opposes mandated policies that have “unintended consequences,” and he favors forest management by clearing underbrush, protecting the availability of diesel fuel and natural gas and keeping the Snake River dams in place.

Sipe told The Bulletin on Thursday that “unintended consequences” are a common thread among laws like 2020’s Ballot Measure 110, which decriminalized drug possession and mandated addiction treatment services, and the proposed Ballot Measure 114, which would require permits, background checks and safety training for gun owners along with a ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds. Measure 114 will be on voters’ ballots in November.

Sipe has a considerable funding lead over Levy, amounting to almost a $230,000 difference.

“We’re really smart about the way we spend money,” Levy said, “and we can make our money count in a really focused and targeted way.” She said she is confident her campaign will make up for the gap in order to earn a win in November.

This year’s election season in Central Oregon also ignited concern for some of Sipe’s previous comments on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Both Sipe and Trego accept the results of the election as legitimate. “A lot of people should have voter remorse,” Sipe said, “but we know who the president is.”

House District 53

Emerson Levy

Democrat, Independent

Attorney, Bend

Michael Sipe

Republican

Businessman, Tumalo

House District 54

Jason Kropf

Democrat, Independent, Working Families

Attorney, Bend

Judy Trego

Republican

Nonprofit leader, Bend

Campaign finances – 2022

Emerson Levy

Raised: $53,034

Spent: $35,653

Cash on hand: $42,173

Levy rolled over funds from her 2020 campaign and contributions in 2021 to have the current cash-on-hand balance.

The largest donation to Levy’s campaign is $10,000 from Local 48 Electricians PAC of Portland. Future PAC House Builders, the PAC backing Democrats running for the Oregon House, has given $8,600. She’s received $2,500 each from the Oregon Firefighters Councils and from the Citizens Action for Political Education, a PAC of the SIEU public workers labor union.

Levy has spent $7,380 with Bend-based Run for Oregon, for management services. She paid Alexandria, Virginia.-based Pivot Group $3,691 for 10,000 pieces of literature for door-to-door campaigning.

Michael Sipe

Raised: $280,742

Spent: $194,131

On hand: $89,578

Sipe’s largest amount of incoming funds was a $50,000 loan from Cross Pointe.

Contributions include $15,000 from Sunriver property company owner Robert Bennington, $10,000 each from Bright Wood Corp. of Madras, Lake Oswego investor Dale Stockamp, Norkote Branch Manager Dana Gillet of Bend, Jon Tompkins of Bend.

Pahlisch Homes co-owner Joanna Palisch of Bend has given $10,000, while co-owner Dennis Pahlisch has contributed $5,250.

Sipe also received $17,000 in in-kind contributions for polling from Evergreen Oregon PAC, the Prineville-based PAC backing GOP legislative candidates.

Sipe’s largest expenditure has been $34,000 with Max Marketing of Bend for radio and television advertising buys. His largest single expenditure was $25,000 to be a title sponsor of the Deschutes County Fair.

Jason Kropf

Raised: $41,965

Spent: $48,190

On hand: $6,334

Kropf rolled over funds from his 2020 campaign and 2021 contributions to have the cash on hand total listed.

The largest contribution is $2,500 each from the Oregon Soft Drink PAC, and the Oregon Hospital Political Action Committee.

The largest expenditure was $30,716 to Future PAC House Builders, the fund for Democratic candidates for the Oregon House. No expenditure for his 2022 campaign is over $2,000.

Judy Trego

Raised: $33,643

Spent: $14,841

On hand: $13,152

The largest contributions to Trego are $5,150 from Lake Oswego investor Dale Stockamp, $5,000 from Eugene Family Flying manager Kathleen Jones McCann of Springfield, and $2,350 each from Greg and Sharree Strausbaugh of Sunriver.

Trego’s largest expenditures are $4,700 to Carlson Sign Co. of Bend for billboard advertising, and $1,552 with Minuteman Press of Bend for campaign literature printing.

— Gary A. Warner