His vision is not abstract ideology—it is practical, results-driven leadership that scales from Clackamas County to the state of Oregon and the nation: a future where families thrive without being squeezed by government, businesses grow without punitive taxes or red tape, and communities remain peaceful, prosperous, and rooted in equality of opportunity, not mandated division.

At the heart of Shull’s vision are Clackamas families. Property taxes in the county have climbed over 5% in recent years, even as many households see stagnant incomes. Seniors on fixed incomes—those who built our neighborhoods, raised families, and paid off homes—are particularly vulnerable. Under Oregon’s Measure 50, the automatic 3% annual cap compounds relentlessly: a typical $5,300 tax bill could balloon to over $8,000 in 15 years, forcing heartbreaking choices between staying in beloved homes or cutting essentials like prescriptions and groceries.

Shull’s concrete plan delivers immediate relief: a 3% annual county property tax rebate for every senior aged 65 and older living in their primary residence. This directly offsets the Measure 50 increase on the county portion, freezing that share permanently at current levels. For a median bill, it means roughly $28–$29 in yearly savings per household, small on paper, but compounding into thousands over time for utilities, healthcare, or family gatherings.

Affordable to implement (just 0.6% of the county’s General Fund, covered by efficiencies, not new taxes), this policy honors the generations who made Clackamas strong while strengthening family stability statewide. Shull extends this fight to Oregon’s burdensome estate tax, advocating repeal so families can pass generational wealth without government seizure.

Housing affordability ties directly to family prosperity. Oregon’s strict land-use laws and Metro’s Portland-centric mandates have strangled supply, driving up costs and pricing out young families and working people. Shull will champion reforms that free up land for development, slash red tape, and enable homes our children and grandchildren can actually afford—while safeguarding rural economies, farmland, and the county’s way of life.

No more one-size-fits-all dictates from Salem or Metro; local control means Clackamas decides its own growth. This approach ensures families stay rooted in their communities rather than being pushed out by unaffordable mandates.

For businesses—small firms, family enterprises, and rural employers that power Clackamas—Shull’s vision means freedom from government strangulation. He opposes the Corporate Activity Tax and every scheme that raises costs on jobs and families. “No new taxes—period.” 

He has cut wasteful spending, eliminated divisive DEI programs (replacing them with true equality of opportunity for every resident), and voted against government expansion. No new departments or programs unless they are core county functions. This fiscal restraint keeps overhead low, so businesses can hire, invest, and compete.

Shull also demands accountability from ODOT: fix I-205’s nightmare traffic through audits and smarter spending, not tolls that punish drivers and hurt commerce. “NO TOLLING – NO COMPROMISE.” A thriving business climate in Clackamas ripples outward—supporting Oregon’s economy while modeling limited-government principles for the nation.

Peace and prosperity require rejecting waste and division. Shull has called out the “homeless industrial complex,” where hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars (over $724 million statewide in 2024 alone in the greater Portland region) have yielded little progress while roads go unfixed. As commissioner, he will vote against every grant feeding this inefficiency until results improve—redirecting savings to core priorities like public safety and infrastructure. He advocates healthy environmental stewardship through responsible timber management and wildfire mitigation, preserving Oregon’s natural heritage without radical restrictions that harm rural jobs.

On DEI and equity mandates, Shull is unequivocal: they create friction and victimhood. In his prior term, he eliminated county DEI operations. True equality—opportunity for all, regardless of politics—fosters unity, not division. This principle scales nationally: America’s strength has always come from God, family, and country, not identity-based policies that erode cohesion.

Shull’s leadership is battle-tested. He was the hardest-working commissioner—answering calls, showing up in neighborhoods, and delivering results—he listens across party lines. His military background instills mission focus: get the job done efficiently, protect what matters, and leave the community stronger. For Oregon, this means pushing back against Salem’s overreach and Metro’s incursions, restoring local control so counties like Clackamas chart their own destiny. Nationally, it models the path forward: fiscal responsibility to combat inflation’s squeeze on families, streamlined regulations to unleash business innovation, and a return to first principles that built the most prosperous society in history.

Mark Shull’s vision is straightforward yet transformative: lower costs so families keep more of what they earn; fewer mandates so businesses create jobs; smarter government so communities stay safe, affordable, and united. It is a future where seniors age in place with dignity, young families build homes and futures, businesses flourish without penalty, and Clackamas County—indeed Oregon and America—remains a beacon of opportunity, self-reliance, and common-sense governance.

Clackamas deserves this leadership. Oregon and the nation need its example. On May 19, voters have the chance to elect the People’s Commissioner who puts residents first. Mark Shull’s proven record and bold vision will deliver the peaceful, prosperous tomorrow our families and businesses deserve.