By MIKE FERGUSON

Baker City Heraldandgt;/bandgt;

Baker City businessman Deon Strommer announced Wednesday he will bow out of the race to replace Tom Butler in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Strommer’s decision leaves two Republicans Cliff Bentz of Ontario, whom county commissioners unanimously appointed last week to replace Butler for the month-long legislative session that begins Friday, and Tim Smith of Burns on the May 20 ballot.

Strommer threw his support behind Bentz, a 56-year-old attorney who served eight years on the Oregon Water Resources Commission, two years as chairman.

andquot;Cliff and I have met many times and we have become friends,andquot; Strommer said in a Jan. 30 letter addressed to the people of House District 60. andquot;Cliff has a great deal of experience in water and land rights. He has strong support in all four counties of District 60. He is respected by our ranch and farm communities. He has a strong work ethic and will listen to his constituents.andquot;

Strommer said he will take andquot;an active partandquot; in helping Bentz win the May primary election.

andquot;As for me,andquot; Strommer wrote, andquot;I will continue to be involved in my community. I will look for opportunities to serve. I will continue to fight for the rights and values of Eastern Oregon, the best place in Oregon to live.andquot;

Instead of campaigning, Strommer said he will turn his attention to unnamed business opportunities that he said he couldn’t consider while running for office. He said he’s also eager to complete painting and redecorating his Subway sandwich store in Baker City.

He said he plans to continue serving as a director for the Baker 5J School District as well as the Union-Baker Education Service District.

Strommer said he and his wife, Amy, talked about him pulling out of the race Jan. 22, following commissioners’ decision to appoint Bentz. The couple decided to andquot;give it a week before pulling the plug,andquot; he said Wednesday afternoon.

andquot;We took it up again this past weekend,andquot; he said. andquot;It would have required a lot of time and expense, and I just never got the traction I felt I could.andquot;

Strommer said that Bentz enjoyed support from the agricultural communities in all four counties in the district Baker, Malheur, Grant and Harney.

andquot;I felt I could have learned the issues, but he had experience in natural resources issues,andquot; Strommer said. andquot;I really feel I need to gain some experience.andquot;

He also cited former President Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment of politics as a reason for withdrawing.

andquot;I don’t know if Republicans need to be battling each other,andquot; Strommer said.

Despite the unanimous vote for Bentz last week by county commissioners, members of Strommer’s steering committee and other volunteers tried to talk him out of quitting the race, Strommer said.

andquot;I’ve learned a ton, and I’ve made some good friends in all four counties,andquot; he said. andquot;I had a life before (the brief campaign) and I’ll have a life after.andquot;

To date no Democrat has filed for the House District 60 race. If no Democrats file to run in the Nov. 4 general election, the winner of the Bentz-Smith primary battle would win a two-year term in the House.

Strommer did not rule out another run at one of Oregon’s largest House seats especially if Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day and the Senate minority leader, retires and Bentz wins his senate seat.

andquot;If I do it next time,andquot; Strommer said, andquot;I’m going to throw my hat in the ring two years early.andquot;

Reporter Mike Ferguson can be reached at 523-3673 or mferguson@bakercityherald.com.