Lebanon farmer Dan Thackaberry thinks state lawmakers are not addressing the needs of rural Oregonians. That is something he hopes to remedy by winning the District 17 seat in the Oregon House of Representatives this November.

"There are almost no farmers in the legislature," Thackaberry said.

Thackaberry, a second generation farmer and Democrat, farms his family's 420 acres, plus leased land stretching almost to Salem, raising sheep, timber and grass seed.

A 1974 graduate of Lebanon Union High School, Thackaberry earned a bachelor's degree in entomology from Oregon State University.

His public service includes serving on the Lebanon Planning Commission, Lebanon City Council, Linn Soil and Water District and Linn County Farm Bureau. He currently is on the board of directors of the Oregon Farm Bureau.

"It taught me how to work with others," said Thackaberry of his experience.

Asked what top three priorities he'd take to the legislature, Thackaberry answered without hesitation, "education, transportation and economic development."

Oregon should have a world-class education system, something best accomplished by investing in K-12 education, he said.

Barring an economic downturn, Thackaberry said the state has enough money in the general fund to tackle fixing Oregon's transportation infrastructure.

"One-fifth of of Oregon jobs depend on transportation. We've allowed roads and bridges to age," he said.

A firm believer in alternative energy, Thackaberry thinks Oregon is in a unique position to use it to boost the economy.

"There's great opportunity for development with wind, solar and geothermal. Oregon State is on the cutting edge of wave (energy) technology.

Cellulose-based ethanol from wood products is another area Thackaberry would like to see pursued.

"That could employ a lot people to thin our forest, which is better than just letting them die and burn," he said.

Tax incentives, grants and mandating that a larger percentage of state vehicles use alternative fuels are some ways to advance the economic potential of alternative fuels in Oregon.

"We are in a position to be an energy exporter," he said.

On immigration, the candidate said he did not back President Bush's failed immigration plan, but does favor a guest worker worker program.

"I don't support giving those here illegally amnesty," Thackaberry said.

Finding people with agricultural skills in this country is not easy, he said, citing his own need to hire two workers from Chile on H2A visas.

"It's very difficult to find someone with animal husbandry skills. It's a huge skill, being able to recognize signs of disease," he said.

Those kind of skills used to be taught in high school agriculture programs, most of which have been cut over the years, something Thackaberry called "shameful."

"I'd like to to see us reinvest in those agricultural programs, so we don't have to rely on imported labor," he said.

On another hot button political issue, land use laws, Thackaberry said he felt Measure 37 was flawed and supports Measure 49.

More funding for law enforcement - he supports an 24/7 Oregon State Police presence - and cracking down on ID theft are other issues Thackaberry said he would address in the legislature.

Prohibiting credit card companies from sending unsolicited credit applications in the mail would help cut down on ID theft, he said.

This is Thackaberry's second run at the house seat. In 2006, he lost to Republican Fred Girod who had been appointed to the District 17 seat after Rep. Jeff Kropf resigned upon learning that running for re-election could jeopardize his part-time job as a conservative talk show host.

Girod's seat was left open in January when he was appointed to the Oregon Senate to fill the District 9 position left vacant when Roger Beyer resigned take a job with the Oregon Seed Council. Linn and Marion County commissioners appointed Sherrie Sprenger, a Republican, to take Girod's place.

To date, Thackaberry is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for the District 17 seat, which includes Lebanon, Sweet Home, Scio, Sublimity and most of eastern Linn and Marion counties.

Thackaberry said he felt he did well in 2006 in the Republican majority district, despite being heavily outspent.

"I believe I'll do much better this time," he said. "You'll find people won't just vote the party line."

Thackaberry's campaign website is www.farmerdan. org