Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2012 Primary Election Thank you for responding to this questionnaire, which is for

use by Statesman Journal Editorial Board members in evaluating candidates for potential endorsements. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be published in the newspaper and/or on our website, StatesmanJournal.com. Remember: Any information you provide may be made public. Please fill in your answer to each question and return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document. The editorial board e-mail: Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 3
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your name: Age: 45

Aaron Felton

(If your age will change before the May 15 primary, please indicate your birthday. We want to make sure we use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage. )

Political party (if this is a partisan office):

Non-partisan Polk County District

Position you are seeking (name of position, district number): Attorney

I plan to attend the editorial board meeting scheduled for: April 10, 2012 Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: (Salem area) Are you a full-time resident of that area? City/town of residence: West Salem Yes 8+ (Polk County), 30+

Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown children):
Wife, Michelle, two grown children

Education: J.D., Willamette University College of Law; B.A., University of Oregon; South Salem H.S. Current occupation/employer: Prison Supervision Chairperson, Oregon Board of Parole and Post-

Employment, military and volunteer history: Employment: Assistant City Attorney, City of Salem; Deputy District Attorney, Polk and Benton Counties; Counsel to House Judiciary and Labor Committees, Oregon Legislature; Attorney in private practice. Volunteer: Oregon YMCA Youth and Government; Woodhaven Estates Homeowners Association; Willamette Valley Inns of Court Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: District Attorney (2008) None Polk County

Other prior political and government experience: Member, Attorney Generals Task Force on Victims Rights Enforcement, Member, Governors Public Safety Team; Member, Governors Re-Entry Council; Chairperson, Advisory Commission on Prison Terms and Parole Standards; Member, Prison Population Forecast Advisory Committee; Polk County Elder Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be published): Mail address: E-mail address: Web site URL: Phone: Fax: 2737 Fillmore St. NW, Salem, OR 97304 aaron@aaronfelton.com www.aaronfelton.com (503) 371-0374 None

Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words. 1. Why did you decide to run for this office? To make Polk County a safer place. It is the right of every citizen to feel safe in their home, neighborhood, and community. The role of the district attorney is to work with law enforcement to prosecute and bring to justice those who threaten our lives, security, and property. The DA also teams with community partners to intervene in the lives of families and children that have been the victims of crime, addiction, and abuse. I seek the office of District Attorney to meet those challenges aggressively and with integrity. 2. How much will your primary campaign cost? I anticipate spending less than $20,000 on my campaign. I am proud to say that I have the most individual Polk County contributors in the race so far.

3. Key endorsements you have received: Vicki Berger, State Representative Lane Shetterly, Former State Representative Andy Olson, State Representative, Lieut., Oregon State Police (Ret.) John McArdle, Mayor of Independence Chuck Bennett, Salem City Councilor Judge Mark Bliven (Ret.) Craig Hanneman, Former Polk County Commissioner Ron Dodge, Former Polk County Commissioner Tom Ritchey, Former Polk County Commissioner Phil Walker, Former Polk County Commissioner John Oberst, Mayor of Monmouth Wes Scroggin, President, Dallas City Council AFSCME Local 173, Council 75 Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance Joseph Penna, Attorney at Law Wes Ediger Wayne Simmons Scott Casebeer Scott Erickson Walter Todd, Attorney at Law Kathleen Hanneman Max Wall, Deputy District Attorney, Polk County (Complete list of endorsements at www.aaronfelton.com) 4. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details. No. 5. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details. No. 6. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific. Im the only candidate for District Attorney with nearly two decades of legal, criminal justice, and public safety management experience. As a prosecutor, I convicted Polk Countys most violent criminals, high-volume drug dealers, repeat property offenders, and child abusers. As Chair of the Parole Board, Ive kept that same criminal element

behind bars. In my work with the Board, Ive administered a $3.7 million, 15-employee statewide public safety agency during one of Oregons harshest economic periods. 7. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected? How? (75 words
for each issue)

A. Maintaining a commitment to the publics safety and the integrity of the District Attorneys mission during times of budget shortfalls. Currently, the DAs office is facing the potential loss of one prosecutor in an already small office. It demands an innovative approach to maintain the highest level of service. As District Attorney, I will aggressively work to not allow budget shortfalls to limit our commitment to public safety by seeking out alternative funding sources, shared prosecutorial resources, restructuring, and fasttracking prosecutions to resolve these issues. B. Underscoring a commitment to community-based and rural justice issues. I will focus on the unique criminal justice issues faced by farmers, merchants, and other stakeholders in the county. It is critical that those who threaten the lives and property of the people of Polk County know that they will be caught, prosecuted, and be held accountable. I also understand that the criminal justice issues presented in our cities present unique challenges. A one size fits all approach is no longer effective in our county. C. Increasing the number of specialty courts. Currently, Polk Countys Drug Court works remarkably well. Other counties have had good results with domestic violence courts and mental heath courts. Bringing those on-line will result in cost-savings, reduced recidivism rates, and greater public safety. 8. What do you see as other important issues? Supporting crime victims by treating them with dignity and ensuring they have a voice in the courtroom. I pledge to fully support the outstanding existing Victim Assistance Program in the Polk County District Attorneys office Addressing the needs of children entering the criminal justice system. Whether they are there as delinquents, dependents, or victims, they present unique challenges. As District Attorney, I will make the Juvenile Deputy DA a preeminent position in my office.

9. What magazines, newspapers and Web publications do you regularly read to keep up on the news and developments in your areas of interest? Statesman Journal, Itemizer-Observer, Oregonian, Time 10. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to disclose before it comes up in the campaign?

No.