Eric Werner Reschke
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 55th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2021
Preceded byVikki Breese-Iverson
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 56th district
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021
Preceded byGail Whitsett
Succeeded byEmily McIntire
Personal details
Born1965 (age 58–59)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGinny Reschke
Residence(s)Malin, Oregon, U.S.
Alma materOregon State University
Signature

Eric Werner Reschke (born 1965) is an American businessman and Republican politician currently serving in the Oregon House of Representatives. He represents the 55th district, which covers parts of Jackson and Klamath counties, including parts of Klamath Falls.

Biography

Reschke was born in Los Angeles, California (1965), grew up in Beaverton, Oregon and graduated from Sunset High School (1983). He graduated from Oregon State University (1988) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration.[1] After graduation he worked for Georgia-Pacific, Tektronix, and Xerox in the Portland metropolitan area before moving to Klamath County in 2001.[2]

Reschke was a board member of the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce from 2012 until 2016 and was elected to the Oregon State House in 2016. In the election, he earned 48.77% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate (and former Klamath County Commissioner) Al Switzer and non-affiliated candidate Jonah Hakanson.[3][4][5] In 2018 Reschke was reelected earning 71.8[6]% of the vote over Democratic challenger Taylor Tupper.[6] In 2020 Reschke was re-elected earning 71.7% of the vote over Democratic challenger Faith Leith.[7]

On December 11, 2020, Reschke and 11 other state Republican officials signed a letter requesting Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum join Texas and other states contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election in Texas v. Pennsylvania. Rosenblum announced she had filed in behalf of the defense, and against Texas, the day prior.[8]

On a January 17, 2024 National Association of Christian Lawmakers livestream with host Jason Rapert, Reschke said Christians "are the types of people you want in government making tough decisions at tough times. You don’t want a materialist. You don’t want an atheist. You don’t want a Muslim… You want somebody who understands what truth is, and understands the nature of man, the nature of government and the nature of God." He went on to say "we have a lot of people who are godless, unfortunately, leading the way, and it’s the blind leading the blind". The Freedom From Religion Foundation objected to his comments in a letter from Annie Laurie Gaylor. The People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch objected to his comments, as did Kayse Jama, a fellow member of the Oregon legislature who is Muslim.[9][10]

Personal life

Reschke is married and has one son. The family attends Calvary Chapel Church in Klamath Falls.[1]

Electoral history

2016 Oregon State Representative, 56th district [11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eric Werner Reschke 13,272 48.6
Democratic Al Switzer 10,983 40.3
Independent Jonah Hakanson 2,961 10.9
Write-in 66 0.2
Total votes 27,282 100%
2018 Oregon State Representative, 56th district [12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eric Werner Reschke 18,312 71.8
Democratic Taylor Tupper 7,130 27.9
Write-in 68 0.3
Total votes 25,510 100%
2020 Oregon State Representative, 56th district [13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eric Werner Reschke 23,604 72.6
Democratic Faith N Leith 8,859 27.2
Write-in 55 0.2
Total votes 32,518 100%
2022 Oregon State Representative, 55th district [14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eric Werner Reschke 24,371 68.7
Democratic Brian Lepore 11,041 31.1
Write-in 44 0.1
Total votes 35,456 100%

References

  1. ^ a b "Werner Reschke's Biography". Project VoteSmart. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Name: E. Werner Reschke / Position: Oregon Representative, House District 56". Klamath County Republican Party. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  3. ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  4. ^ Moriarty, Liam (November 8, 2016). "Klamath Area State Legislative Races Go To Linthicum, Reschke". Jefferson Public Radio. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "Other Views: Change the election filing rules". Mail Tribune. January 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "E. Werner Reschke". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  7. ^ "2020 Election Results for Klamath County and the State". Klamath Falls News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Tess Riski (December 13, 2020). "A Dozen Oregon Republican Lawmakers Urged the Attorney General to Support Texas Lawsuit Undermining U.S. Election Results". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Dirk VanderHart (January 29, 2024). "In interview, Oregon lawmaker suggests non-Christians are unfit for elected office". opb. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Annie Laurie Gaylor (January 25, 2024). "Re: Divisive Religious Rhetoric Dear Representative Reschke:" (PDF). ffrfaction.org. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  13. ^ "November 3, 2020, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "November 8, 2022, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

External links

Members of the Oregon House of Representatives
Categories