15 Jun APP leads way to electing Oregon’s first Latino majority school board

APP team who led the campaigns of Anthony Medina (Woodburn-2nd right) & Levi Herrera-Lopez (Salem-1st right)

By electing Laura Isiordia, Gustavo Gutierrez, and Anthony Medina in Woodburn, we now have the first elected Latino majority school board in Oregon!!! These pioneers have broken down barriers for future generations of students. Anthony, who had the only contested race out of the three, is just 25 years old.  Anthony was the first in his family to graduate from college, earned a Master’s in Education Policy from Stanford University and works as a budget analyst for the State of Oregon. Talk about being young AND qualified to lead in our local school board.

In the Salem-Keizer Area, we campaigned hard to elect Levi Herrera, who since age 15, has been invested in the Salem-Keizer community and currently serves as the director of Mano a Mano Family Center, whose mission is to help families and youth become self-sufficient and empowered. Professionally, he works with community. Levi went to McNary High School and has ample personal experience overcoming barriers that as people of color, we often face in the education system. Levi is also part of the Salem-Keizer School district budget, Marion County Children and Families Commission, Salem Youth Advisory Commission, Marion County Public Safety Coordinating council, among many others.

If elected, Levi would have been the FIRST LATINO ever to sit on the Salem-Keizer school board. A unique perspective much needed, given that 50% of Salem-Keizer students are students of color. However, as qualified as Levi is, it is clear that the community in Salem-Keizer was not ready for a Latino candidate.

Levi will continue to advocate for our most vulnerable communities as he has always done and Acción Política PCUNista will continue working to elect people who represent the communities they serve. Just look at our team. These campaigns are led by YOUNG people–college students and high school students–who truly care about their communities and the positive impact this has on our state. Together, we knocked close to 8,000 doors in Salem-Keizer and Woodburn. We heard powerful stories from community and helped people vote for the first time.

We didn’t lose, we won! These young people are our present and our future and we will continue to make our voices heard. They’ve broken through the chains of poverty and are now breaking through the chains of our political system. 

Thank you for supporting our efforts!

Adelante,

Jaime Arredondo

APP Executive Director

http://www.accionpoliticapcunista.org/