Chael Sonnen ready for a political fight
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Chael Sonnen is set to challenge for the House District 37 seat. Chael Sonnen is carving…
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Chael Sonnen is set to challenge for the House District 37 seat.
Chael Sonnen is carving out a most interesting career for himself.
Already a business entrepreneur, real estate salesman and, most famously, a standout mixed martial arts fighter, the West Linn resident has declared himself a candidate for the Republican nomination for District 37 for the state house of representatives.
Sonnen admits that even though being a competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship may not be a qualification favored by every voter, he is a confident candidate. Sonnen believes he can win the election and rattle cages in Salem.
Almost everything I’ve done in my life has prepared me for this, Sonnen said.
He considers the timing of his move perfect, even though he will soon be preparing to fight for UFC Middleweight Championship.
I’ve always been involved in politics, even as a kid, Sonnen said. My favorite books and TV shows were about politics. When you couple interest with frustration, that’s when you run for office.
My issues will be jobs and the economy. The government is getting in the way of entrepreneurs taking risks and even being successful. They disdain them instead of encouraging them. Somebody there needs to be a good, strong voice for business.
Sonnen even made a creditable run for state representative for District 22 back in 2004 when he went against Al Shannon, husband of big wheel Republican politician Marilyn Shannon. At only 26 years old and with a campaign bank roll of under $2,000, Sonnen worked so hard that he managed to get 43 percent of the primary vote.
That’s why we wanted Chael to run this year, said John Kloor, operations director for Promote Oregon and who will serve as Sonnen’s campaign manager. He did so well in 2004 because he spent eight hours a day knocking on doors, and when he was done with that he would pick up a phone and start calling people.
Chael understands how to represent people. He’s not caught up in the partisan game. He has a genuine passion to serve.
We know it is going to be a very difficult race. It will be in the top five races in the state, maybe even No. 1. If we didn’t feel Chael was the right candidate, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
A West Linner, Sonnen now has the home-court advantage
Sonnen feels that being a West Linn homeboy will give him an advantage.
I understand this district, he said. I was born and raised here. I coach a kids wrestling club.
That All Phase Wrestling Club is a good example of what Sonnen achieves with hard work and dedication. He started with six kids. He now has 122.
But you cannot help but look at Sonnen’s fighting career to get a clue of what he will be like as a politician. A good example was his recent match against the heavily favored Nate Marquardt in Las Vegas. A win would put Sonnen in the middleweight title match, but the odds against him were 5-1.
Sonnen’s moment of truth came when Marquardt put on his famed Guillotine Choke Hold. Sonnen grimaces at the memory of Marquardt’s arms around his neck.
I couldn’t even breathe, Sonnen said. I hurt so much that I was passing out. He opened up a cut on my head. It was a real mess… (Sonnen also noted: The fans were really enjoying the fight.).
I resorted to praying.
Prayer, plus the fact that fatigue caused Marquardt to loosen his hold a bit, allowed Sonnen to finally break free. He went on to a convincing victory.
I have qualities that cross over very well into politics, Sonnen said. I have the work ethic and dedication. I set goals, stay on task and I have discipline. You’ve got to have the vision to stay the course.
Sonnen is a tough man inside the fighting cage or the political ring. He expects to be the one raising his hands in victory as state representative in November.