Tawna Dee Sanchez (born August 23, 1961) is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. She represents the 43rd district, which covers parts of north-central Portland.
Early life and education
Sanchez was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Sanchez is of Shoshone-Bannock, Ute, and Carrizo descent and was the second person of Native American descent elected to serve in the Oregon legislature (following Jackie Taylor) and the first to represent Portland.[1]
Sanchez graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Marylhurst University and with a master’s degree from Portland State University.
Career
She has worked with the Native American Youth and Family Center for much of her life.[2][3]
Sanchez has served on the Oregon Child Welfare Advisory Commission and the Oregon Family Services Review Commission.[2]
She won election to the House in 2016, narrowly defeating Roberta Phillip-Robbins in the Democratic primary and running unopposed in the general election.[4][5][6][7]
As of 2023 Sanchez is the co-chair of the Oregon legislature’s joint Ways and Means committee, along with Senator Elizabeth Steiner.[8]
Electoral history
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez | 31,052 | 98.5 | |
| Write-in | 457 | 1.5 | ||
| Total votes | 31,509 | 100% | ||
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez | 31,885 | 98.7 | |
| Write-in | 425 | 1.3 | ||
| Total votes | 32,310 | 100% | ||
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez | 39,274 | 98.8 | |
| Write-in | 479 | 1.2 | ||
| Total votes | 39,753 | 100% | ||
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez (incumbent) | 13,247 | 99.34 | |
| Democratic | Write-in | 88 | 0.66 | |
| Total votes | 13,335 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez (incumbent) | 33,466 | 91.80 | |
| Republican | Tim LeMaster | 2,943 | 8.07 | |
| Write-in | 48 | 0.13 | ||
| Total votes | 36,457 | 100.0 | ||
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tawna Sanchez (incumbent) | 37,084 | 92.1 | |
| Republican | Tim LeMaster | 3,078 | 7.6 | |
| Write-in | 97 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 40,259 | 100% | ||
See also
References
- ^ Edge, Sami (March 6, 2024). “Oregon planned to mark 250 years since Declaration of Independence without giving tribes a voice. 2 lawmakers changed that”. OregonLive.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ a b “Tawna Sanchez’s Biography”. Project VoteSmart. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Quirke, Steven (September 8, 2016). “Tawna Sanchez to bring a new perspective to Salem”. Street Roots. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ “November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes”. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Hammill, Luke (May 20, 2016). “Closest race for Oregon Legislature decided: Tawna Sanchez wins”. The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Hammill, Luke (May 18, 2016). “Controversial neck-and-neck race for Legislature may head for recount”. The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Slovic, Beth (May 18, 2016). “In Surprising Reversal, Tawna Sanchez Now Leads Roberta Phillip-Robbins in House District 43”. Willamette Week. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ VanderHart, Dirk (March 23, 2023). “Budget writers unveil a no-frills plan for Oregon’s next 2 years”. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ “November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes”. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ “November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes”. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ “November 3, 2020, General Election Abstract of Votes” (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ “May 17, 2022, Primary Election Abstract of Votes” (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ “November 8, 2022, General Election Abstract of Votes” (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ “November 5, 2024, General Election Abstract of Votes” (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.