05 Dec 2018 Mid Term Elections

(Our team of organizers, Gail, Nicole, Mario, Martha, Alex, and Enrique)

The 2018 Midterms were a success for PCUN and our partners in the social justice movement. We are proud to say that farm workers, immigrants, and Latinx working families made a huge impact in getting out the vote for progressive issues and candidates this election cycle. Today, I can confidently say we are building and flexing our power in a huge way. This year, PCUN knocked on a total of 27,000 Latinx bilingual, bicultural doors with our team of Latinx organizers. We provided ballot assistance to over 350 Latinx voters. It made a huge difference. But what really made the difference was the unity in the movement – which collectively knocked on over 400,000 doors!

Here are some highlights from the campaigns and on candidates we endorsed:

• Kate Brown is still our Governor, and PCUN knocked on thousands of Latinx doors to ensure that the Latinx vote came out in full force for our Governor. She has had our backs for years, we are honored to get to return the favor.
• Representative Teresa Alonso Leon also won her race in House District 22, Oregon’s first majority Latinx district in the state.
• Representative Paul Evans of House District 20, Independence and West Salem, also won his race, and is continuing to hold up farmworker values in the state legislature.
• And we’re very proud of Rachel Prusak, the Representative Elect of  HD 37. You can 
• Anna Williams for HD 52 in Hood River also won her race. Congrats to Anna!
• Andrea Salinas in HD 38, Lake Oswego, ran unopposed.
• Eric Swenson is now the Mayor of Woodburn, he is a champion for Woodburn Schools, and a true bridge builder and strong advocate for equity.

On Measure 105… WE DID IT. Defeating this measure truly took a village. With the help of over 500 organizations, PCUN and our sister organizations, labor partners, and more, beat measure 105. Oregonian’s have spoken. We want to be a place that welcomes people, and rejects racial profiling based on our perceived immigration status.

PCUN also said NO to Measure 103, 104, 106, and we said YES on 102. Oregonian’s agreed last night, and voted down 103,104,105, 106, and said Yes to 102. 

La lucha Sigue – the fight continues! We’re proud of the campaigns our candidates put on. And we continue to fight for better representation of our communities.  Here are some of the campaigns we endorsed, that did not win. 

• Shelaswau Crier for Marion County Commissioner position 1, amazing grassroots presence. Unfortunately, we were not able to have our first women of color in the county commission, but we learned a lot, and will look forward to the next commissioners race.
• Mike Ellison for HD 19 (SE Salem) had a great interview with our board, and we’re sad to see his campaign lose.
• Charles Gallia for SD 20 (Oregon City) is a real champion for health and for kids. We would have loved to see him as a senator. Hope we see him run again.

Check out the rest of our positions on the other measures you’ll see on the November ballot: