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Bend Lawyer, Home Builder Seeks County Seat

BEND, Ore. - Phil Henderson, Bend attorney and home builder, filed with the Deschutes County clerk's office Thursday to run for the county commissioner seat currently held by Alan Unger.

Henderson, a Republican, will oppose Bend City Councilor Tom Greene in the May primary, with the winner advancing to a fall campaign against Unger, a Democrat.

This will be the first campaign for elected office by Henderson, a 56-year-old 5th generation Oregonian and 23-year county resident.

The rest of his announcement:

Henderson strongly feels he possesses the skills learned in the private sector to help grow Deschutes County's economy.

"My legal expertise and experience both with running and owning businesses will serve my fellow county residents well," he said. "We need to listen to what taxpayers want. I will do that. I know the issues, and I have ideas on how to address them."

Like many fiscal conservatives, Henderson has concerns with government spending and plans to address how best to meet the budget needs of Deschutes County while reducing the county's dependency on ever-shrinking federal and state dollars

"I believe I will be a very effective advocate for Deschutes County taxpayers in setting policies for how our services are provided and where our money is spent," Henderson said.

"I learned in the private sector long ago that people have to be accountable for the money they spend. We need to insure those values are upheld here in Deschutes County", added Henderson, whose priorities include reducing property taxes and promoting economic development.

An honors graduate of Yale and the University of Oregon Law School, Henderson practiced law in Bend for 14 years prior to working for Sun Forest Construction, where he served as President for four years.

He currently owns a successful home building company, Phil Henderson Homes. Henderson has served as a board member of the Deschutes County United Way and the Heart Institute of the Cascades, as well as on the city of Bend Budget Committee. He and his wife, Therese, live in Bend with their two dogs.