Tualatin businessman to challenge Wu in 2010

By Stover E Harger III

The Times, Aug 6, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (17 Reader comments)

Jaime Valdez / The Times

Rob Cornilles is planning a run against U.S. Rep. David Wu for the District 1 legislative seat in the 2010 election.

TUALATIN – For Rob Cornilles, it all started with a question from his 12-year-old son. “Dad, am I going to have to pay for that?”

The two were watching the TV news earlier this year when a story referenced the growing national debt. The pre-teen’s inquiry set off a spark inside the 45-year-old Tualatin businessman. It struck him at his core.

Cornilles’ own questions began to flow through his mind: What will the future bring for his three boys? How can he make sure that the world gives them the same opportunities that he had? What could he do about it?

He then knew he wanted to try and make an impact. He decided he wanted to become a congressman.

The Republican has recently filed with the Federal Election Commission to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. David Wu’s District 1 seat in the 2010 general election.

His desire to step into politics, despite having no previous experience, is built around some core values that he feels are lacking under Wu’s leadership – giving small businesses ways to grow, facilitating collaboration between all political parties and doing what is best for children. When he talks about his political ambitions one word keeps popping up in his spiel: the economy.

“I don’t think it’s right for our representatives to burden us and encumber us with debts and deficits,” he said about ramifications of the current federal stimulus plan. “I think we can stimulate the economy without incurring history-making debts.”

This is a major foundation of his newly kicked-off campaign (www.cornillesforcongress.com) and why Cornilles is willing to sacrifice his privacy, his free time, and possibly, his livelihood.

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