With the timeline before Oregon’s next election year ever shrinking, various hopefuls are beginning to vie for the state’s newly created sixth congressional seat.
Oregon State Rep. Andrea Salinas officially launched her campaign to join Oregon’s congressional delegation, joined by Rep. Ron Noble and former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith.
Assuming that the maps that were created and approved in September hold up after their day in court, the new district will include all of Polk and Yamhill counties, parts of Washington and Clackamas counties, and the part of Marion County that holds Salem.
Salinas’ Nov. 9 campaign announcement saw her emphasizing that she would continue to advocate for expanding Oregonian health care. She also allegedly aims to bolster education, fight climate change, and focus on rebuilding the nation’s economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salinas is banking on her track record, including time as the chair of the state’s House Committee on health care. During this time, she led efforts to improve the accessibility and cost of healthcare for Oregonians and worked with colleagues to declare healthcare as a human right in the state’s constitution.
Noble, a former police chief, bills himself as a moderate who’s worked closely with Democrats this year on several police reform and accountability bills. He was the only member of his caucus to appear in the state Capitol in September during the Republican walkout.
Loretta Smith announced her candidacy for the seat in June, before the new district maps were drawn. She plans to focus on improving healthcare access for Oregonians and fight for “economic and climate justice.”
Among the other candidates that have thrown their names in the ring for the Republican primary are former Republican congressional candidate Amy Ryan Courser, clinical psychologist Angela Plowhead, and Dundee Mayor David Russ.
The additional Democratic nominees are Intel engineer Matt West and former Portland Public Schools board member Derry Jackson, who saw some controversy roughly twenty years ago.
Jackson made several anti-Semitic comments which he later apologized for, and was investigated two years later for allegedly using his official position to gain investors for a tech startup. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.
By: Ethan Hauck
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