At age 73, John Lim is making his first run for the governor's seat.

Lim stopped by the Lebanon Express office on Oct. 28 to meet with staff about his campaign bid.

The former state representative has served in both the public and private sector.

He moved to the U.S. from North Korea when he was 30 years old. He worked as a janitor, house painter, and worked other blue-collar jobs.

"I was at the bottom rung and I worked up," he said.

From there he went in to real estate and slowly opened seven mom-and-pop grocery stores.

In 1972, he started a vitamin business, American Royal Jelly Company.

"At 50 years old, I was financially independent," he said. "They call that the American Dream and now I understand what that means."

Lim has served in both the Oregon House and Senate. He was first elected as a state senator in 1992 for District 11, and was re-elected in 1996. In 2005 he served as a state representative for District 50.

He is in the running against Allen Alley of Lake Oswego for the Republican nomination.

Democratic candidates include former two-term governor John Kitzhaber and former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. The filing deadline for governor is March 9, 2010.

Lim believes he can boost state and international trade and bring more tourism by being the only elected Asian governor in the nation.

With two tax measures on the ballot in January, Lim said he thinks government needs to spend money more wisely, rather than "squeezing more tax out of the people."

"The governor needs to make the government efficient and make sure the money is being spent effectively," he said. "If you need to change the course in this rough sea you need to get a new captain."

Lim says he is pro-life, but "if someone wants to be pro-choice, that's their choice." On marriage, Lim said he believes that it is a union between a man and woman, but is open to civil unions.

"Everyone should have the same rights," he said.

He has three grown children and four grandchildren.

"I'm the oldest candidate and the wisest," he said.