Endorsements for the 2024 Elections
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Below is a list of courageous people who are running for important political offices and who have demonstrated consistent support for mental health providers and consumers in Oregon. Your support is encouraged both through this PAC and through direct donations to their campaign.
Our Behavioral Health Advocates
Andrea Salinas, for Congress 5th District (D)
Vice-chair of the House Interim Committee on Health Care
Email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.andreasalinasfororegon.com/
Rep. Salinas has served on the legislature since 2017 and served on the Behavioral Health Committee. She worked to increase access to health care; prevent bankruptcy from medical debt; and guarantee Oregon workers have access to paid family and medical leave. Her work on supporting LPCs and LMFTs getting medicare reimbursement rights is vital, and your vote is important in this tight race!
Tina Kotek, for Governor (D)
Email: info@tinafororegon.comCampaign Website: https://www.tinafororegon.com/
Former Speaker of the House, Tina Kotek has long been a friend of behavioral health providers. Having been the longest serving speaker in Oregon's history, she received the 2013 State Legislator of the Year Award from the American Psychological Association Practice Organization (APAPO) in recognition of her ongoing support of prescriptive authority for psychologists and her critical involvement toward the passage of the Coordinated Care Organization legislation, which lead the country in a pilot Medicaid reform project. She strongly advocated for providers and for clients' increased access to behavioral health care when Family Care closed in 2017 and has worked to expand Medicaid coverage to include more families during the pandemic. Of all three candidates for governor, she most strongly supports the interests of our profession. We strongly recommend that mental health providers support her campaign to ensure continued support for our interests. This is a tight race and your vote will count!
Rob Nosse, Representative District 42, NE/SE Portland (D)
Chair of the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee
Former Chair of the Behavioral Health Committee
Email: Rep.RobNosse@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://robnosse.com/
Rep. Rob Nosse has long been a strong advocate of mental health issues in Oregon. He served as the head of the Behavioral Health Committee until 2022, when he was promoted to head of the Health Committee (which is now overseeing both physical and mental health issues). Multnomah County gave him an award as "Behavioral Heath Hero" in 2022. He championed HB 3046 which is vital to access to mental health care and holds insurance companies to providing better access to services. He is also the champion of our "Bill of Rights" for mental health providers in audits by insurance companies.
Tawna D. Sanchez, Representative
District 43, North and Northeast Portland (D)
Email: Rep.TawnaSanchez@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.tawnasanchez.com/
Rep. Sanchez is Shoshone-Bannock, Ute and Carrizo and grew up in Portland. She has a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University, and for many years she has been a leader fighting for the rights of women, indigenous people, and the most vulnerable. She is the Director of Family Services at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA)
A major focus of Tawna’s work has been in the area of domestic violence. Prior to joining NAYA, she was a domestic violence advocate at the Bradley Angle House. Tawna is the founder of a nationally recognized Native American domestic violence intervention and prevention program that has successfully served thousands of Native American families. Tawna has been active at the state level as well, serving on the Oregon Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisory Board.
Tawna is also a personal and professional leader in the area of child welfare and foster care. Tawna in her own life has helped raise more than 18 foster kids, kids who attended schools in the District including Humbolt, Sabin, Beaumont, Grant, Jefferson, and Rigler. She has also been active in state policy making, serving on the Oregon Family Services Review Commission and Oregon Child Welfare Advisory Commission.
Maxine Dexter, Representative
District 33 - Portland (D)
Email: Rep.MaxineDexter@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://maxinefororegon.com/
Maxine Dexter has been a Representative since 2020 and is a pulmonary and critical care doctor, working at Kaiser Permanente. She is passionate about using her experience to help fix our broken healthcare system. She supports healthcare for all.
Lisa Reynolds, Representative
District 36 - Portland's Westside (D)
Email: Rep.LisaReynolds@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: website: https://www.lisafororegon.com/
Lisa Reynolds served as vice-chair of the committee on behavioral health and has been passionately supporting issues related to access to behavioral health throughout her service. She has lived experience in her family with addressing mental health issues and is a pediatrician in southwest Portland. She is endorsed by the Oregon Education Association and the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.
Ben Bowman for
Representative, District 25 Tigard (D)
Email: ben4oregon@gmail.com
Website: https://www.benfororegon.com/
Ben Bowman is Chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board and works at the Oregon Department of Education. He has supported student mental and social health and has a proven history of supporting pro-student policies to that end.
Farrah Chaichi
Representative, District 35 Tigard (D)
Email: info@chaichifororegon.com
Website: https://www.chaichifororegon.com/
Farrah Chaichi is a lifelong resident of Beaverton. Her platform includes improving access to behavioral health care.
Mark Gamba
Representative, District 41 Milwaukie (D)
Email: gambam@milwaukieoregon.gov
Website: https://www.markgamba.com/
Mark Gamba has served as the Mayor of Milwaukie since 2015. As a City Councilor and as Mayor of Milwaukie, Mark centered BIPOC in city processes, and helped elect women, people of color, and people from other historically marginalized backgrounds to office at multiple levels of government. He is a supporter of behavioral health through working for universal access to healthcare.
Dr. Thuy Tran
for Representative,
District 45 Portland (D)
Email: Vote4Tran@gmail.com
Website: https://www.tranfororegon.com/
Dr. Thuy Tran is running for her first term as Representative of District 45 this term. She is a Lt Col, the Chief of Optometry for the 142d Medical Group, Oregon Air National Guard in Portland. She is an Optometrist in the Hollywood district.
Courtney Neron
Representative, District 26 - Aloha, Beaverton, Hillsboro, King City, Newberg, Scholls, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville (D)
Email: Rep.CourtneyNeron@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.courtneyfororegon.com/
Courtney Neron is running to continue as Representative of District 26. She is an educator and mother. She championed Oregon's paid Family and Medical Leave, and introduced successful legislation to ensure every child in foster care has a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).