<p>Heidi Van Schoonhoven</p>

The race for House District 58 has cooled since Greg Barreto ran away with the Republican primary one month ago, but his Democratic opponent promises to bring some heat.

Heidi Van Schoonhoven, 46, described herself as a political moderate. She is banking on that middle-of-the-road stance to draw voters her way.

Barreto represents a very far right extreme, Van Schoonhoven said, and there are a lot of moderate Republicans who are not in that camp.

Van Schoonhoven, 46, lives in the small community of Cove, population about 550, the same town Barreto calls home. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and lived most of her life in the Portland area. She said she moved to Cove about three years ago but visited the area nearly every year. She said she is a fifth generation northeast Oregonian and from a fourth generation Cove family. Her maternal great-great-grandfather, she said, was Sumpters first postmaster, and her paternal great-great-grandfather settled in Cove in the late 1800s.

My people are of this area, from this area, Van Schoonhoven said.

She owns and operates La Grande Dry Cleaning & Alterations in nearby La Grande, trains dogs and has a masters degree in art therapy from Marylhurst University. Van Schoonhoven also is a precinct person and president of the Cove Community Association, which she said her father launched 24 years ago. Her father retired from a career in education, she said, and passed on to her the value of public service. She said she wants to bring that ethic to the statehouse to ensure the people who live in the district get their fair shake.

Im willing to do that, she said. Im willing to be a voice for the people of the district.

Van Schoonhoven was on the Democratic ticket in 2012 against Republican Rep. Bob Jenson of Pendleton, who said he would not run again. She was more of a place holder than an active candidate two years ago but won 24 percent of the vote. This time, she said, she is serious about getting the job.

Having much of a chance means building name recognition against an opponent who has done that groundwork. Van Schoonhoven said she has a team working with her that will be ready to knock on doors and engage the public, but she did not reveal a timeline for the rollout. Van Schoonhoven, though, promised she would have a visible campaign.

She also said she would focus her campaign on issues and not the political oneupmanship that fueled much of Barretos victory against Republican John Turner. The top issues for the region, she said, are the economy and jobs.

We were hit hard by the recession and were still feeling it, she said.

Small businesses are the strength of the economy, she said, but too many are on the brink of not making payroll each month. She said she wants to take a look at systems where small business can share expenses, such as Internet or phone services, to help cut down on overhead. She also said she would help Salem understand that the tax money the state sends to teachers, foresters and corrections officers out here produces real value.

Salem needs us out here to do the work, she said. We have people out here who are really specialists at their jobs.

Van Schoohoven also considers education, quality of life for seniors and meeting the needs of military veterans as keys for the district. She said these are the meaty issues that matter to voters, and they want candidates who can talk about those and listen to their needs. She said she is game for those discussions and will show her mettle on the road to the November election.

Ill tell you, Van Schoonhoven said, theres no reason I shouldnt be in Salem, Ill tell you that much.

Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0833.