DLCC and Oregon Democrats Win Supermajorities in House and Senate

 

​Mara Sloan
​DLCC Communications Director

 

 

WASHINGTON — Oregon Democrats have secured supermajorities in both the state House and the state Senate. With Governor Kate Brown, DLCC Board Chair and Speaker of the Oregon House Tina Kotek, and Senate President Peter Courtney leading the state, Oregon will continue to be a key part of Democrats’ “blue wall” against the Trump administration’s detrimental policies.

 

“Congratulations to Speaker Tina Kotek, House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, and Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick on expanding Democrats’ strength in the Oregon Legislature,” said DLCC Executive Director Jessica Post. “As Chair of the DLCC, Speaker Kotek’s commitment to electing Democrats to state legislatures nationwide is incredible, and the DLCC is fortunate to work alongside such a phenomenal advocate. These strong leaders will continue to guide Oregon as the state leads our nation in progressive policies and stands up to the Trump administration.”

 

Oregon House and Senate Democrats fielded candidates in 70 of the 77 legislative races on the ballot, while Republicans fielded candidates in only 57 races. Democrats’ strong slate had over 50 percent women candidates and included nearly 20 educators and more than a dozen first-time candidates.

 

The DLCC featured a number of Oregon candidates on its Spotlight Races page, including Representatives-elect Teresa Alonso Leon, Janelle Bynum, and Marty Wilde, and Senator-elect Jeff Golden, bringing national attention to their races. The DLCC invested $125,000 in securing Democratic strength in the Beaver State, helping Oregon Democrats and their supporters knock on hundreds of thousands of doors.

 

This year Democrats ran over 5,300 candidates – the most candidates for state legislatures since 1982. Nearly half of those candidates are women, and more than 1,100 are candidates of color. The DLCC knows that when Democrats hold the majority in state legislatures, more policies are passed into law that help all Americans. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the only organization exclusively committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures all over the country and winning Democratic control of chambers. For over two decades, the DLCC has been working with state legislative leaders to invest strategically in state programs and rebuild the Democratic Party from the ground up. This cycle, the DLCC held 40 trainings with more than 800 candidates and staff to prepare state Democrats for success. With the help of the DLCC, state Democrats are leading the resistance against the Trump administration’s extremist policies while moving our nation forward one state at a time.

 

For more information or to schedule an interview with the DLCC, please contact Mara Sloan at [email protected].