Statement on Senate District 15 Appointment

We proudly endorsed Lamar Wise for Senate District 15. On January 14th, the Washington County Commission voted to appoint Rep. Janeen Sollman to the vacant seat. We believe she is also a qualified candidate and look forward to working with her in her new role. But the Commission has failed to live up to the values of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resolution it passed in 2020.

Lamar has been a leader and role model for students during his time at the Oregon Student Association, and a strong advocate for workers and communities of color at AFSCME. Lamar was instrumental in passing the historic Student Success Act and has years of experience with Oregon’s legislature. Washington County cannot have a full and equitable recovery without a strong focus on racial, gender, and economic justice and no other candidate brought this focus to the table as well as Lamar did.

In remarks before casting his vote, Commissioner Roy Rogers expressed that the equity lens he uses “has nothing to do with color” and that he doesn’t see color. Oregon’s last census shows that 45% of Senate District 15 identifies as Black, Indigenous and/or people of color. A colorblind equity lens is not an equity lens, and the Commission’s decision has denied Washington County’s BIPOC community an opportunity for the representation they deserve.

We endorsed Lamar based on our shared values and his proven record of showing up for working people. We still believe in Lamar’s vision for Washington County, and the commission’s decision underscores the need for the work he has spent years doing. We’re proud to support Lamar as he seeks appointment to House District 30.