Selma Pierce, wife of former Kate Brown challenger, to run for Oregon House

Selma Pierce, right, pictured with her husband, Bud Pierce, a former Republican challenger to Gov. Kate Brown. (Oregonian/OregonLive file)

Selma Pierce, a retired dentist and the wife of former Republican gubernatorial candidate Bud Pierce, intends to run for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Pierce registered a campaign website on Wednesday, according to domain registration records, though the site is not yet active. She's also formed a campaign fundraising committee and the House Republicans campaign arm sent it a $20,000 check Thursday, campaign finance records show. Pierce was not immediately available for comment.

The district she will run for is held by Rep. Paul Evans, a Monmouth Democrat whose seat Republicans have considered vulnerable for several election cycles.

Republicans targeted Evans, an Air Force veteran and Western Oregon University professor, in 2016. He eked out a victory by less than 2,000 votes.

Bud Pierce competed in the 2016 general election against incumbent Gov. Kate Brown. He lost by 7 percentage points.

Selma Pierce played an active role in her husband's run against Brown. She crisscrossed the state with him to make appearances at campaign events, spoke on his behalf in advertisements and managed his social media accounts. Pierce is also an active volunteer and has organized dental services clinics for the poor.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

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