In Oregon, union members don’t just vote in elections; they run in them. The Northwest Labor Press was able to identify almost two dozen union members running for public office in the May primary. Of those running in partisan races, all but one are running as Democrats.

Union members are especially plentiful in the Oregon Legislature, which meets six months every other year to make state law and pass state budgets. Oregon has a citizen Legislature, in that lawmakers get a stipend while they’re in session, but not anything like a salary.

Diane Rosenbaum is the senior member of the Capitol’s informal “labor caucus” and a long-time member of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901. Rosenbaum started as a telephone operator in 1975, and rose to be her union’s vice president and a union lobbyist in Salem, and later, chief petitioner on a union-backed ballot measure that raised the minimum wage. First elected to the Legislature in 1998, Rosenbaum has served five terms as state rep in House District 42, Portland, and now is running unopposed for Senate District 21, the seat being vacated by Kate Brown. Last year, Rosenbaum worked to pass a law to fight abuses in the initiative system. Rosenbaum is also president of the labor caucus at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Brad Witt, staff representative at United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 and former secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL-CIO, is running for a third term as state representative in House District 31, Clatskanie. He chairs the Workforce & Economic Development Committee, and last year helped pass a number of bills important to labor.

Paul Holvey, on staff at Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, is seeking a third term in House District 8 in Eugene. Holvey chairs the Consumer Protection Committee and has worked to curb predatory mortgage lending.

Jeff Barker, former president of the Portland Police Association, is running for a fourth term in House District 28, Aloha. Barker, a retired lieutenant of the Portland Police Bureau, chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee and is a staunch defender of workers rights and public safety.

Mike Schaufler, seeking a fourth term in House District 48, Happy Valley, is a building contractor and former member of the Laborers union. He chairs the Business and Labor committee, and last year shepherded a package of bills through the House that were aimed at expanding workers right to unionize.

Greg Matthews, a Gresham fire fighter and member of International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1062, is unopposed in the Democratic primary for House District 50, Gresham. Matthews will challenge Republican incumbent John Lim in what is likely to be a competitive race in November.

Ed Glad, a lobbyist for the Carpenters Union, is running a vigorous campaign for the Republican nomination in House District 24, McMinnville. Glad is one of three running to fill the seat being vacated by State Rep. Donna Nelson, who is running for Yamhill County Commission.

Six legislative candidates are or have been members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Michael Dembrow, vice-president of AFT-Oregon, is running a strong first-time campaign in House District 45, Portland. Dembrow, long-time president of AFT’s Portland Community College, faces two other candidates for the Democratic nomination. Larry Galizio, a full-time Portland Community College journalism instructor, is seeking third term in House District 35, Tigard. Galizio is active in his local and has served on the bargaining team. Mitch Greenlick, a retired part-time sociology professor, helped found the union local at Portland State University in the 1980s. He is running for a fourth term representing House District 33, Portland. Chip Shields is an AFT member by virtue of having taught criminal justice classes at Portland State University, and has close ties to labor overall; he was named a Labor Campaign Hero by the Oregon AFL-CIO for his help on the minimum wage ballot measure, and worked for a time for Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. Shields is running for a third term in House District 43, Portland. And incumbents Carolyn Tomei in House District 41, Milwaukie, and Margaret Carter in Senate District 22, Portland, are also one-time AFT members.

Laurie Monnes-Anderson, a registered nurse and member of the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), is running unopposed for a second term in Senate District 25, Gresham.

Mark Hass, running for re-election in Senate District 14, Beaverton, was a long-time member of American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA) as a reporter at KATU-TV.

Nancy Nathanson, a University of Oregon librarian and former member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503, is running for a second term in House District 13, Eugene.

Two other state representatives are at least nominal unionists through past membership in the Oregon Education Association (OEA): Arnie Roblan, House District 9, Coos Bay; and Betty Komp, House District 22, Woodburn. Both were teachers who later became school principals.

Union members also show up in local races.

In Portland, City Council Position 1 has two union members running: Mike Fahey, and Amanda Fritz. Fahey, a former state representative, is a retired member and leader of the Carpenters Union, and continues as a trustee of the union pension fund and director of a union food bank. Fritz, a registered nurse, is a member of the Oregon Nurses Association who was active in the 2001 nurses strike at Oregon Health & Science University. In City Council Position 4, incumbent Randy Leonard, former president of Portland Fire Fighters Local 43, is favored to win.

And running for Multnomah County Commissioner, District 3, Portland Habilitation Center public affairs director Mike Delman is a former part-time staffperson at the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Besides union members, a number of office-seekers are members of the AFL-CIO’s community affiliate, Working America. Among them are seven legislative candidates, including Oregon Bus Project founder Jefferson Smith, running a first-time campaign in House District 47, Portland; State Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, now running for Senate District 23, Portland; and five incumbent state reps running for re-election: Peter Buckley, House District 5, Ashland; Brian Clem, House District 21, Salem; Dave Hunt, House District 40, Clackamas County; Tina Kotek, House District 44, Portland; and Ben Cannon, House District 46, Portland.

Three candidates in statewide races also belong to Working America: Lewis & Clark law professor John Kroger, running for attorney general; State Sen. Ben Westlund, running for state treasurer, and Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, running for U.S. Senate. Merkley was the first state legislator in Oregon to join Working America.

Not every union member running for office has backing and endorsement from organized labor, but most do.