2024 Primary Election Voter's Guide

Endorsement Process and Priorities

At AFT-Oregon we focus our electoral work on state level candidate endorsements, primarily state representative and state senator positions. The Oregon State Legislature is where important budget decisions are made, such as how much money our schools, community colleges, and universities receive from the state from year to year to fund our students' educations and the jobs of most of our members. Beyond the education budget, the issues decided by this state body are vast: healthcare, housing, transportation, climate mitigation and adaptation, and so much more. These issues affect our members and we are here to make sure that our voices are heard in Salem so we work with elected officials along with labor and community partners to develop a strong education agendas for Oregon Legislative Sessions.

The Politics, Policy, Legislation, and Solidarity (PPLS) Advisory Council has established processes to vet and endorse new legislative candidates while we also continue to build relationships with known champions of education. Our endorsement questionnaire and interviews informed candidates about the issues our members care about including the adjunct crisis, public university funding and governance, K-12 workplace funding and safety, PERS climate investments, tax justice, and housable wages, and we asked their thoughts and strategies regarding how they would work to address them. We considered candidates who have worked alongside union members in bargaining, such as signing solidarity letters for our locals bargaining good contracts (such as with - PSUFA and GTFF). We also considered incumbent candidates' history of supporting core education issues, such as SB 273, HB 2708, and HB 4125 in the Oregon legislature.  

• To learn more or get involved in our PPLS Council, click this link
• To sign up for our activist and first-alert email list, click this link

Quicklinks by District

• Find your district. 

House Districts

• HD07 Springfield
• HD08 Eugene
• HD10 Newport, Lincoln County
• HD14 West Eugene, Veneta
• HD16 Corvallis
• HD20 Monmouth, Independence, Salem
• HD25 Tigard
• HD26 Wilsonville, King City, Sherwood
• HD28 SW Portland
• HD29 Hillsboro, Cornelius, Forest Grove
• HD30 Hillsboro, Helvetia, Rock Creek
• HD35 Aloha, Beaverton
• HD36 S Hillsboro, W Beaverton
• HD37 Tualatin, West Linn, Durham
• HD40 Gladstone, Oregon City
• HD41 Milwaukie
• HD42 SE Portland
• HD43 NE Portland
• HD44 NE Portland
• HD45 NE Portland
• HD47 Outer East Portland
• HD48 Damascus, East Portland
• HD49 Troutdale
• HD50 Gresham, E Multnomah County

Senate Districts

• SD14 Beaverton, SW Portland
• SD18 Aloha, Beaverton
• SD22 N/NE Portland
• SD23 SE/NE Portland
• SD25 Gresham, E Multnomah County

Open Primaries

There are three open competitive Democratic primary races where AFT-Oregon members can support our endorsed candidates. Our PPLS Council believes these three races will be important to win in order to continue building power in the state legislature. All three of these candidates have deep connections to education, our workplaces, and the issues we organize for. They participated in a robust questionnaire and interview process with AFT-Oregon union members in their districts. If you are a union member in Eugene, Corvallis, or Aloha, you have an opportunity to make a difference.

Filling Senator Dembrow’s Seat

A long time champion and former member of AFT-Oregon, Senator Michael Dembrow, is approaching his retirement after years of service in the Oregon Senate and supporting labor in Salem. Oregon Representative Khanh Pham is running with his support and endorsement to be the next State Senator for this district. We have confidence that she will be exceptional in this role. 

Incumbent Candidates

The following Oregon House and Senate candidates have performed strong in the Oregon Legislature and proactively built relationships with AFT-Oregon and nurtured our advocacy in Salem. Many of them were endorsed by our federation in 2022, 2020, or even earlier. We are enthusiastic to support them in the primary election and into the general election.

Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon Senate