Two Republican candidates have come forward seeking to replace Ed Diehl in Oregon’s House District 17, which includes Stayton and the Santiam Canyon.
Diehl, who was elected in 2022, will not seek re-election because he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.
Beth Jones, a Turner city councilor, and Dan Farrington have filed papers for the May 19 Republican primary. No Democrats have announced plans to run.
Beth Jones
Jones, 49, served on the Dallas City Council (2011-14) before making a strong run in House District 23 against incumbent Mike Nearman (she received more than 42 percent of the vote) and she has stayed active in local politics since moving to Marion County. She lost in the Republican primary for District 17 to Diehl in 2022 but rebounded to win a city council seat in Turner in 2025.
“I am a wife, mother, litigator, public servant, and community leader – and I’m running because I believe Oregon can and must be a place where families can thrive for generations to come,” Jones said in a statement. “My life’s work has been grounded in standing up for accountability, defending constitutional freedoms, and helping communities navigate complex challenges with clarity and integrity.”
Jones, who grew up in Keizer and Dallas, has a bachelor’s from Corban University in psychology and family studies and a law degree from Willamette University. During her Polk County days she founded a nonprofit social service agency called Bambinos, a ministry serving families in poverty with practical assistance and dignity.
“As an attorney,” Jones said, “I’ve taken on some of the toughest legal battles in our state – and won.
“My years in civil litigation have prepared me to meet the demands of legislative work with discipline, clarity, and resilience. The same skills that win cases are the skills that help craft effective laws and advocate for the people of this district.”
Jones told Our Town she is willing to visit any individual or group. She can be reached at 503-508-6043.
Dan Farrington
Farrington, 65, and a third-generation Oregonian, was raised in Newport. He ran previously for House seats in Districts 20 and 21 in Polk County, losing to Democrat Paul Evans in 2022 in the District 20 seat and falling in 2012 to Democrat Brian Clem in District 21.
“When elected, I’ll focus on lowering the cost of living by reintroducing free market principles, improving access to quality and affordable healthcare in rural communities, and ensuring our kids receive a real-world education without the political agendas and watering down of standards,” Farrington said in a statement. “I’m not interested in political games or playing around the edges. Republicans and all Oregonians need a serious leader who will fight for them.”
For events going forward people can sign up for alerts at farringtonfororegon.com and follow him on Facebook at Dan Farrington for Oregon. Farrington, who earned a bachelor’s in education from Oregon State University, founded Sunrise Medical Consultants in 2002. Under his leadership, the company was recognized as one of Oregon’s 18 Best Small Companies to Work For and created jobs for dozens of Oregonians, according to his release.
Dan and his wife Linda, have been married for 28. They live in Sublimity after raising their six children in South Salem.
“Too many hardworking Oregonians are still struggling to make ends meet,” Farrington said in his statement. “This is the result of decades of failed, far-left Democrat leadership that continues to spend more and more of our money and is achieving worse results every year. Instead of tightening their belts, the politicians continue to pursue new taxes like a sales tax and find more inventive ways to waste our money. That’s not how families in rural Oregon live, and it’s not how the government should operate.”
