Hillsboro veterinarian Kahl seeks Oregon 1st District seat

Barbara J. Kahl, a Republican veterinarian with roots in Northwest Oregon, is running for U.S. House of Representatives in Oregon's 1st Congressional District. She faces Suzanne Bonamici (Working Families Party / Democratic) in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Asked why she is running, Kahl said in our candidate questionnaire: "I'm a native Oregonian. I've seen Oregon at its best, and unfortunately, I'm living it at its worst right now. … The American dream of owning a home, earning a fair living, and paying the bills is slipping away. … It's time to make a difference."

Candidate information

Party: Republican

Education: Kahl said in our questionnaire that she attended "K-12 Hillsboro Oregon School District," earned an "OSU Bachelors of Science / Chemistry Minor" and an "OSU College of Veterinary Medicine Doctorate." She also listed FEMA disaster management certifications and USDA accreditation, among other credentials.

Family: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "I am married with two grown children and four grandchildren. I have extensive family throughout the district."

Experience and public service

Asked about her work history, Kahl said in our questionnaire: "I volunteered as a firefighter in Hillsboro and helped train several of the police department's canine officers. From there I moved into veterinary medicine … before transitioning into business, where I worked in accounting. … Once his service ended, we returned home to Hillsboro, where I entered finance and purchasing at Intel. While raising my children, I earned my degrees from Oregon State University, ultimately becoming the Veterinarian I am today, and building my own small business."

According to her campaign website, Kahl claims she served as chief veterinarian for the American Samoa territorial government starting in 2022, where she says she built the territory's first animal control unit. BallotReady profile data lists her as CEO of the United Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 2010 to 2025.

On the issues

Top priority — government accountability: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "Every problem from affordability to housing, education and the national debt, gets harder when Congress can't show where the money goes." She said she supports legislation that "requires a year-end close on every federal account, with a public report every taxpayer can read …" She also called for expanding "a federal audit team," adding that "any NGO working with or receiving funds from the government is automatically enrolled in a forensic audit process annually."

Affordability and housing: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "I support the Fix our Forests Act that the incumbent voted against. This would clean up our forests and restore timber harvests to mills, providing the materials needed to build homes. … Over 100 mills in Oregon have closed, draining resources from rural communities that depend on the forest harvest for schools, police, and fire safety."

Health care: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "Vertical integration has damaged all medical fields to a degree that private practitioners, stand alone pharmacies, and the people who support them are losing ground." She said she would "re-evaluate and update antitrust laws to curtail private equity buyouts" and "require that costs be transparent to patients before care is given."

Energy and environment: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "I would support guidelines requiring data centers to pay their own energy bills, so families, farms and small businesses aren't subsidizing them."

Federal spending: Kahl said in our questionnaire: "Congress must spend within its means and prove where every dollar goes. … I oppose the Fed printing more money."