Oregon voters encountered an unusual candidate at a recent Portland farmer's market: a six-foot-tall talking pencil seeking the state's highest office. The anthropomorphic writing instrument, known simply as Pencil, represents a provocative protest campaign against what its creator calls catastrophic failures in Oregon's education system.
J. Schuberth, a former college professor and longtime literacy advocate, created the pencil costume earlier this year to spotlight a disturbing statistic: Oregon fourth-graders rank dead last in reading according to one prominent analysis of national testing. The campaign asks voters to write "Pencil" on their ballots rather than support any Republican or Democratic candidate.
"This is an indictment of the people who are running our state," Schuberth said. "[Democrats] have had a supermajority, or close to it, for a long time. That's who is determining education policy."
The campaign represents an escalation in frustration over Oregon's educational decline. While Schuberth acknowledges that Pencil cannot legally serve as governor under the state constitution, the write-in effort aims to send an unmistakable message to incumbent Governor Tina Kotek and other state leaders.
"That pretty much sends a wake-up call," Schuberth explained. "People are willing to write in an inanimate object. We might have a problem."
The campaign faces a significant obstacle in measuring its impact. Under Oregon law, election officials only tabulate write-in votes to individual candidates if the total number of write-ins exceeds votes for the leading candidate. Schuberth indicated they are exploring options to independently tally Pencil's support by requesting images of ballots cast.
At the downtown Portland farmer's market on April 23, Pencil's message resonated with several voters who expressed willingness to consider the write-in option. Portland resident Randy Hueber acknowledged the tension between supporting the Democratic incumbent and registering dissatisfaction with educational outcomes. "Ultimately, I want Tina Kotek to win," Hueber said, but added he would consider writing in Pencil's name "to get the point across."
Another Portland resident, Suzanne Lassen, expressed stronger criticism. "It's really a crime," Lassen said of the state's student performance. "Our education system's horrendous and it's only gone down." When asked if she would write in a pencil, Lassen responded affirmatively, stating, "I think our current administration's not very effective."
Anna Mackay, attending the market with her small children, described the difficult choices families face. "While our family doesn't have bottomless means, we're making the decision to put our children in private school because of some of these outcomes," Mackay said, adding she would "certainly consider" a write-in vote.
Even Joe Hagedorn, a candidate for county judge who was also campaigning at the farmer's market, expressed openness to the message. "I don't know much about Pencil, but I would [consider a write-in vote]," Hagedorn said. "What they've talked about with education is very similar to what I'm interested in."
Governor Kotek, who is seeking another term in November, acknowledged the educational challenges during a recent interview. "I agree with Pencil," Kotek said. "We have a problem when it comes to literacy and reading and writing in our state. That's why it's been a priority for me since my first year as governor."
The governor has pushed major investments in upgrading reading instruction programs and authored new legislation granting state officials greater authority to intervene in underperforming districts. However, these policies remain relatively new and have not yet produced measurable improvements in student outcomes.
Schuberth criticized the governor's approach as insufficient, arguing that Oregon should emulate states like Mississippi, where focused literacy efforts have produced dramatic improvements. The campaign has invested heavily in spreading this message, with Schuberth spending nearly thirty thousand dollars of their own money on custom postcards, flyers, and fridge magnets featuring Pencil's friendly face alongside the serious message: "Oregon's education system is failing our kids, but together we can FIX it!"
Education has emerged as a central issue in the gubernatorial race. Every Republican candidate vying to challenge Kotek in November has focused attacks on Democratic policies they blame for lagging test scores. Pencil represents a unique entry in this debate, offering voters frustrated with both major parties an alternative means of expressing dissatisfaction.
Kotek faces no serious opponent in the May 19 primary, but the general election in November promises a competitive contest. Schuberth indicated that Pencil will continue campaigning through the general election, likely requiring substantially more funding to maintain visibility in what will become a crowded and expensive race.
The campaign raises fundamental questions about voter frustration and the limits of traditional political engagement. Whether Pencil's message translates into measurable ballot support remains uncertain, but the campaign has already succeeded in generating attention for an issue that affects every Oregon family with school-age children.
