Oregon Representative Kevin Mannix, a Republican representing House District 21, has been in Oregon state politics a long time — since 1988, in fact, when Ronald Reagan was president. But this latest election cycle brought something new for the attorney: a groundswell of assistance from allies.
“I think the unique boost was the depth of support I had from volunteers, business groups and individuals who financially supported my campaign alongside a number of my colleagues in the Oregon House who donated, wanting me to come back to continue working with them,” says Mannix, an Oregon Right to Life PAC (ORTLPAC) political endorsee.
Mannix, the incumbent, beat out the Democrat, Independent and Working Families nominee Virginia Stapleton to retain his seat. The 21st district covers Keizer and North Salem, including ORTLPAC’s Keizer headquarters. ORTLPAC endorsed Mannix for his firm pro-life views, posting an election night tweet calling him a “strong pro-life representative in Marion County” whose victory “demonstrate[s] the power of the pro-life message when contrasted against pro-abortion attacks, as well as the importance of direct outreach to voters.”
Mannix calls the ORTLPAC endorsement “a validation of our relationship.”
“I started out as a pro-life Democrat and won the election, and as soon as that was over, I’ve been working with Oregon Right to Life continuously; we have a great relationship,” says Mannix, a founder of Blanchet Catholic School in Salem. “I’ve been pro-life all along and always worked with ORTL when given the chance.”
His legislative priorities in 2025 include addressing homelessness, mental health treatment, addiction, wildfire prevention, housing markets and tax reform. Additionally, any time Mannix can participate in any sort of pro-life legislation, including incrementally chipping away at Oregon’s status quo of legal abortion up to birth, he’s willing.
“When folks say it’s a woman’s right to control her body, we’re no longer dealing with just her body — we’re also dealing with another life,” he says. “And I want to do everything I can to protect life from conception forward.”
Most importantly, Mannix doesn’t see the pro-life movement as a “dead-end street,” even in a deep-blue state like Oregon.
“Maybe I’m just an eternal optimist,” he says. “But we cannot give up.”
