2016 election — Sharon Freeman will be the Democrat nominee for the District 25 seat in November election

Newberg resident and business owner Sharon Freeman has filed to run as a Democrat for state representative in District 25, challenging incumbent Bill Post.

Freeman is running unopposed in her party for the position, which she said is common in Yamhill County.

“That’s kind of per usual when you’re on the Democrat (or) independent side of things,” Freeman said.

Still, she said she doesn’t want to be defined by a particular “side” in a partisan way.

“There seems to be a lot of that, particularly this year, both nationally and locally. It seems to be either ‘this side’ or ‘that side’ and they don’t meet,” Freeman said. “I’m not like that: what I want to do is work together.”

A California native who later spent eight years in Texas, Freeman moved to Newberg in 2003 and has since built a house and started her own business, a catering company called Perfect Picnics.

Freeman ran Sal Peralta’s campaign for state representative in 2006. She also stressed her experience as a small business owner in shaping her goals if she takes office. She cited bringing jobs as a large priority, noting her position with the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m on the board of an organization what wants business to survive here, wants business to come and stay,” she said.

Other priorities for Freeman include securing funding for education within the district and emphasizing public safety. She said as the campaign progresses she’ll be going door to door and learning what constituents are particularly concerned about as well.

Freeman said she knows it’s tough to win as a Democrat in this area, but that she wants to emphasize working together rather than focusing on partisanship.

“I see so much divisiveness in politics, here locally and all over the place,” she said. “That’s why people are so angry, feeling like they have no hope. I want to help.”

Since Freeman and Post are both running unopposed in their parties they will face each other in the November general election. Post took office in January 2015.