SD-20: Martha Schrader interested in taking over husband’s senate seat

Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader (D-Canby) told PolitickerOR.com on Tuesday that she was interested in pursuing the State Senate seat being vacated by her husband, incoming U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader.

Mrs. Schrader said that she was going to be reaching out to the county’s precinct committee people regarding issues that were important to the senate district, as well as touching base with them on what they wanted to see from their future state senator in Salem. The precinct committee people will be the ones that cast a deciding vote on the candidates that the party will put up to replace Mr. Schrader.

“This is not something I am entitled to. There is a process for the local people to decide, which is as it should be. It’s their choice,” Schrader said. “I hope they support me.”

Schrader pointed out that as a former legislative aide and a county commissioner, she already had a good working relationship with many of the members in the Senate Democratic Caucus, and was familiar with the issues facing her potential constituency as well as the state. Those issues included job creation, homelessness, and veteran issues.

“A lot of what I’ve done at the county level translates to the state level,” Schrader said.

Schrader said she had already begun to make the difficult decisions regarding some of her leadership positions at the local level. But in the end she decided that she had to try for her husband’s state senate seat.

“I had to weigh where I could do the most good,” Schrader said. “And I think I can do that at the state level.”

Kurt Schrader has yet to officially resign his state senate seat, but once he does, Clackamas County Democrats will have 20 days to come up with three to five names to submit to Clackamas County Commissioners, who will then have 10 days to vote on his replacement. Depending on the timing of Kurt Schrader’s resignation, Martha Schrader could end up casting a vote for herself.

Former State House Candidate Toby Forsberg (D-Oregon City) has also expressed interest in the SD-20 seat.