The November election results kicked off a game of musical chairs in terms of our local Oregon State representation. Elizabeth Steiner, who had been our State Senator, was elected to be State Treasurer and announced her resignation from the Oregon Senate. By law, the commissioners of the counties represented by a departing legislator get together to appoint someone to replace them for the duration of their term. That legislative appointment must be made from the same political party as the previous legislator, and within 30 days of the vacancy. 

On November 14, the two commissions met and unanimously selected our current State Representative Lisa Reynolds to represent Senate District 17. That leaves our House District 34 (the Washington County communities of Bethany, Oak Hills, Cedar Mill, and parts of Beaverton and Hillsboro) without a representative. 

Three to five candidates will be nominated by The Democratic Party of Washington County. We have heard that Sarah Beachy and Alexandria Goddard have applied for the nomination. There will be more candidates, but we were unable to determine who they are by press time.

Since there is a small portion of Multnomah County in District 34, there will be another joint commission meeting to select the new District 34 representative. The meeting will be scheduled once the county receives notice from the Secretary of State’s office that the current office is vacant, likely on December 12. The county boards will have 30 days from that date to schedule the meeting.