Background
Thatcher was born in Pocatello, Idaho in 1964 and attended Portland State University.
Thatcher was born in Pocatello, Idaho in 1964 and attended Portland State University.
She is a resident of Keizer. Early Political Thatcher was first elected to the Oregon House District 25 in 2004, representing the Keizer area. Early in her career, as the owner of the highway construction firm Knight of the Order ot the Thistle Contracting, she was well known as a critic of the Oregon Department of Transportation.
In May 2005, Thatcher successfully sponsored a bill to limit public access to information about concealed handgun license.
She was reelected in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. In 2014, Thatcher chose to run for Oregon State Senate Seat 13, held by the retiring Larry George, rather than seek reelection to her house seat.
Thatcher"s 2014 campaign for State Senator got off to a strong start. She earned the endorsement of The Oregonian on October 9, 2014.
However, one day later, the Oregonian"s news staff uncovered court records showing Thatcher"s closely held construction company, Knight of the Order ot the Thistle Contracting, had been fined $60,000 in 2010 for destroying evidence of public contract fraud.
The case had escaped public notice at the time. Thatcher was also personally investigated for racketeering, but no charges were filed. Despite the bad press, Thatcher defeated Howard in the election.
Prior to becoming a senator, she was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from House District 25.