Larry Morgan

Tonight, I was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Mt. Hood Community College—an honor I won’t soon forget.

Never in a million years did I imagine that the college I attended right out of high school would be the very place that would change the course of my life. From becoming student body president in 2010 winning by just two votes, to advocating for students in Washington, D.C., and even overseas in Israel—Mt. Hood has shaped who I am.

Life has a way of coming full circle. And tonight, that circle closed with gratitude, joy, and a deep sense of responsibility.

We celebrate tonight. Tomorrow, the real work begins.

Rebuilding trust with our community won’t happen overnight, but it must happen—and it starts now. While it appears the college’s bond measure for facility upgrades will fall short, we now have a duty to listen. To reflect. To learn what this community is willing to support—and to meet them there.

Thank you for believing in this moment. Let’s get to work

I was honored to attend today’s Oregon Legislature Ways and Means Roadshow, held right here at Mt. Hood Community College. Our state faces some tough financial decisions, but it was powerful to witness dynamic and heartfelt testimony from people across our region.

Having this important conversation take place on the Mt. Hood campus was a great reminder of the college’s role—not just in education, but in bringing our community together and engaging in the issues that shape our future.

Some will say it’s just a game, and they are correct. Others will point to the near misses, the heartbreaks, and the long road it took to get here, and they should. But the story of Head Coach Tom Johnson is bigger than basketball—it is a testament to resilience, perseverance, and the quiet strength of a man who has spent four decades shaping young lives, molding character, and standing unwavering in his values.

Last night was the culmination of everything we were told growing up: that hard work, doing things the right way, and being a good person still matter. After nearly 40 years at the helm of the Barlow Bruins, through seasons of triumph and seasons of pain, through personal hardships that would break lesser men, Coach Johnson finally secured his first 6A OSAA Boys Basketball State Championship in a fierce battle against Jesuit, 61-55, in front of a packed Chiles Center.

There aren’t enough moments in this world where good people, those who lead with integrity and selflessness, get the reward they deserve. Last night was one of those moments. It was everything that is right.

Making sure this thing is still on...

I've had the honor of stepping away from publicly elected life to recharge and find other ways to help, this community, our state, and the people that I love. Since doing so, our problems haven’t improved; they’ve increased. Bombast has replaced bipartisanship, and platitudes have replaced solutions, leaving folks fed up.

I started as a young kid with big hopes, and now, as a young man seeing big opportunities, I'm going to spend the next few weeks determining where I can make the biggest impact—elected or otherwise.

Stay tuned, but it feels good to be back.

😉