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
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| 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
- ^ a b "Werner Reschke's Biography". Project VoteSmart. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Other Views: Change the election filing rules". Mail Tribune. January 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "E. Werner Reschke". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Election Results for Klamath County and the State". Klamath Falls News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Dirk VanderHart (January 29, 2024). "In interview, Oregon lawmaker suggests non-Christians are unfit for elected office". opb. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Annie Laurie Gaylor (January 25, 2024). "Re: Divisive Religious Rhetoric Dear Representative Reschke:" (PDF). ffrfaction.org. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.