Redmond School Board chair Michael Summers is running for a seat in the Oregon Senate.

Currently, Summers is the only Republican in the race for Senate District 27. Current officeholder and Oregon Senate minority Tim Knopp was banned from running for re-election and his pick to replace him, Shannon Monihan, was disqualified for not meeting residency requirements.

Summers, a Redmond resident, told The Spokesman that Sen. Knopp approached him about getting into the race after Monihan was disqualified. Summers is the co-owner of Summers Flooring and Design in Bend and has long lived in the district.

“I was asked to. It was as simple as that,” Summers said of his bid for the state senate. “I’ve known Senator Knopp for a long time because he was a client of mine. We did a wood floor project for him years ago and established a good relationship.”

The only Democrat currently filed for the seat is Bend city councilor Anthony Broadman.

If no one else files before the deadline, Broadman and Summers would likely face off in the November general election. The deadline to file is March 12.

Senate District 27 covers a portion of Deschutes County including south and west Redmond, all of Sisters and parts of Bend.

Knopp currently holds the seat, but cannot seek reelection. Knopp was barred from running again by the Oregon Supreme Court in February because of his role in the longest walkout in state history.

This will be Summers’ first race for a position in state government. He was elected to the Redmond School Board in 2021 and currently serves as board chair. His first term is set to expire in 2025.

Summers said he does not plan to resign his school board seat while he campaigns.

“It is going to be a bit crazy but I am not going to let that part suffer,” Summers said of his school board duties. “I don’t do things if I think I am going to do them a disservice.”

In addition to his time committment to the school board, he was also worried about having less time to spend with his four children, his Bend business, and his commitments as drummer in local bands Precious Byrd and High Street.

He wasn’t initially sold on the idea of running for Oregon Senate. Summers said he peppered Knopp with questions about his potential candidacy.

“I asked a lot of questions of him … to make sure I was the right person because I want to make sure we have good representation,” Summers said. “But the more questions I got answered, the more confident I felt that I could do this well.”

His wife’s push for him to go for with was the final word he needed on the matter.

“We weren’t asking for this,” Summers said. “Thankfully I have a wife that is much more wise than I.”

Summers said his experience as the school board chair and as a businessman both help prepare him for state government. He said he has never had political ambition, and he hopes to be someone who can find compromise and solutions. He said fear and division are two methods of governance he does not approve of.

“You can get people to do things if you get them scared,” Summers said. “If you get them divided and you tell them that if elections don’t go this way, it’s all over. And we’ve seen the results of that — and the ulcers probably — nationally. And I just think there is a different way.”

Summers is not the only Redmond School Board member running for state office. School board member Keri Lopez is running for House District 53 in the Oregon House of Representatives, which is currently occupied by Rep. Emerson Levy. No other Republicans or Democrats have filed in that race, meaning Levy and Lopez also look likely to face off in the November general election.