The Washington County Board of commissioners voted Monday afternoon to appoint Nathan Sosa to fill the remaining 11 months of former State Representative Janeen Sollman, who vacated the seat after her appointment to Senate District 15 in January, replacing former Sen. Chuck Riley, who resigned his seat to retire.
The vote was 3 – 2 in favor of Sosa, with two commissioners—Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece—voting for Lamar Wise.
Three people were vying for the seat before the commissioners Monday, including Barry Johnson Smith, Sosa, and Wise.
The three were selected by a vote of the Democratic Party of Oregon Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) in House District 30. Sosa received 58 votes, Wise 29, and Smith 2 votes and were submitted to the county.
Sosa is running for his party’s nod to advance to the General Election in November; Sosa filed Monday, January 24 for the office, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.
The county’s meeting can be viewed on the Washington County YouTube channel.
Sosa was sworn in Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m.
The short session began the same day.
“I’m honored to represent the people of House District 30 and look forward to championing policies that help working families,” Sosa said in a press release. “As someone who was raised by a single mom in a working-class family, I’ve experienced the struggles that so many people are going through now.”
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Sosa, a Hillsboro resident, has been an attorney since 2009, is president of the Hillsboro School Foundation, and served previously as the chair of the Oregon Ethics Commission. He’s served as co-chair of Oregon Trial Lawyers’ Minority Caucus, among his other activities.
“I wish to congratulate Nathan Sosa on his appointment to fill the vacant seat for House District 30. Nathan brings an exciting lens of experience volunteering and organizing community support in the Hillsboro area for several years,” said Sen. Sollman. “He is ready to serve and will be a strong addition to the Oregon House. I look forward to working alongside him to serve the people of our district and all Oregonians.”
“With his proven track-record as a community leader, experience as a lawyer, and drive to help working Oregonians, Representative-designate Sosa is ready to hit the ground running this session. We’re excited to welcome him to our Caucus,” said House Majority Leader Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene/Junction City) in a press release prior to Sosa’s swearing-in.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
