A Quirky Campaign in Portland Aims to Highlight Educational Woes
In the bustling atmosphere of downtown Portland’s farmer’s market, an unusual sight captured the attention of passersby—a human-sized pencil advocating for a gubernatorial campaign. J. Schuberth, the person behind the pencil costume, is on a mission to spotlight a pressing issue: Oregon’s lagging education system.
Schuberth, who introduces themselves as “Pencil,” is determined to raise awareness about the state’s poor ranking in fourth-grade literacy. The campaign encourages voters to bypass traditional candidates and write “Pencil” on their ballots, serving as a symbolic protest against current educational policies.
Education in Focus
Oregon’s education system, particularly its literacy rates, is in the spotlight. A recent analysis of national testing placed Oregon’s fourth-graders at the bottom in reading. Schuberth, a former college professor and literacy advocate, sees this as a failure of the current leadership, dominated by Democrats.
Despite the unconventional approach, Schuberth’s campaign resonates with some voters, who are frustrated with the state’s educational system. Governor Tina Kotek, seeking re-election, acknowledges the challenges and has initiated efforts to address them, including significant investments and new laws aimed at improving literacy rates.
Symbolic Write-In Campaign
While Schuberth knows that “Pencil” won’t become Oregon’s next governor—state laws don’t allow an inanimate object to hold office—they hope the campaign will send a strong message to state leaders.
Under Oregon law, write-in votes are only counted if they surpass the votes of the leading candidate, making it hard to measure Pencil’s impact directly. However, Schuberth plans to request ballot images to tally the votes themselves.
The campaign also aims to highlight the need for more robust educational reforms, drawing inspiration from other states like Mississippi, where focused literacy efforts have yielded improvements.
Community Reactions
At the market, reactions to Pencil’s campaign were varied. Some voters, disillusioned with current policies, expressed willingness to write in Pencil’s name as a form of protest. Others, while supportive of the message, still favor traditional candidates like Kotek.
Politician Joe Hagedorn, also campaigning at the market, found common ground with Pencil’s educational focus, considering a write-in vote himself.
Financial and Future Plans
Running a campaign, even a symbolic one, isn’t cheap. Schuberth has invested nearly $30,000 of their own funds to advance their message. As Oregon’s primary approaches, Schuberth plans to continue their campaign through to the general election in November, hoping to draw more attention to the state’s educational issues.
For more information on Pencil’s campaign, visit their official website.
