Candidates

Our Endorsement Criteria

In consultation with progressive organizations in the districts of interest, we try to assess –

  • Legislative Support: Is there a demonstrated history of advocacy for single payer measures? For those running as incumbents in Congress, that means that they must at least be co-sponsors of the Medicare for All Act of 2023 (H.R. 3421) or the Senate version in 2023 (S. 1655) and proudly mention their support in campaign materials. For incumbent Representatives, they must also be co-sponsors of the State Based Universal Health Care Act (H.R. 6270) and be members of the Medicare for All caucus. Non-incumbents must advocate for Medicare for All or Single Payer in their campaign information. Candidates for state legislature must be advocates for a single payer system in the state. We prefer candidates who understand which sorts of incremental reforms that may improve care for some, at least temporarily, will make it harder to move to a single-payer system, and which sorts will make it easier.

  • Electabiity: Does the candidate have a chance to win? Is the candidate willing to put effort into the process?

  • Educational Impact: Can the candidate, even in defeat, build substantial backing for single payer in their district?

  • Messaging: Will a candidate’s good showing send a strong message to politicians statewide about the strength of single payer movement?


Candidates Endorsed for the 2024 primary election

For Secretary of State:

James Manning

Senator James Manning has been a consistent champion for universal health care in Oregon, an ongoing effort to provide the best quality health care to the most Oregonians, with the lowest long-term price. As your next Secretary of State, Manning will work to ensure our elections systems protect the voice of the people and that the power of the auditing division is used to provide transparency and accountability in our government.
Visit https://votejamesmanning.com

For State House:

Mary Lou Hennrich, HD 36, South Portland

Mary Lou is a retired public health nurse, healthcare administrator and lifetime activist. Her career has been dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities. She has a history of getting results -- codifying nutrition standards in schools, requiring weekly minimum PE minutes for students, and menu labeling for large chain restaurants. She has been and will continue to be a champion for publicly-funded single payer universal healthcare in Oregon." 
Visit https://marylougetsresults.com


Candidates Endorsed for the 2022 general election

For Congress:

Jamie McLeod-Skinner, CD 5

Jamie is an emergency response coordinator, small business owner, engineer, and attorney who has focused her career on rebuilding communities and protecting our natural resources. Jamie successfully communicates progressive ideas in swing and rural areas. “We need to invest in affordable housing, healthcare, homecare, childcare, special and early childhood education, debt-free community college and trade programs, and a person’s right to choose.”  
Visit
https://jamiefororegon.com/

For State Senate:

Melissa Busch, SD 16, NW Oregon

Melissa is a Home Health nurse, visiting patients and community members in their homes and long-term care settings throughout SD 16. She is also a mother and a champion for working families. Melissa will work for affordable housing, better and safer infrastructure, strong schools, good jobs, and quality healthcare for everyone.  
Visit
www.melissafororegon.com/

For State House:

Jesse S Smith, HD 18, Silverton

Jesse is a local Dad who wants to see the public schools fully funded. He has taught abroad, started a small business, and experienced life in countries with insufficient labor laws and environmental regulations as well as those with well-developed publicly funded social services. He will be a strong advocate for universal healthcare.  
Visit
www.smithfororegon.org

Candidates Endorsed for the 2022 primary election

For Congress:

Jamie McLeod-Skinner, CD 5

Jamie is an emergency response coordinator, small business owner, engineer, and attorney who has focused her career on rebuilding communities and protecting our natural resources. Jamie successfully communicates progressive ideas in swing and rural areas. “We need to invest in affordable housing, healthcare, homecare, childcare, special and early childhood education, debt-free community college and trade programs, and a person’s right to choose.”  
Visit
https://jamiefororegon.com/

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Doyle Canning, CD 4

Doyle is a community organizer, attorney, mother and proven progressive leader. For 20 years, she has been building movements for strong climate solutions, working families, racial justice, immigrant rights, homes for all, environmental restoration, and more. Canning will join the Medicare for All Caucus and lead the fight for a universal, single payer system to ensure healthcare for everyone.  
Visit
https://www.canningforcongress.com/

Andrew Kalloch, CD 4

Andrew is the son of public school teachers and is a former civil rights attorney at the ACLU. He will treat climate change like the emergency that it is, tackle the national affordable housing crisis, and promote policies like the State-Based Universal Health Care Act and Medicare drug price negotiations to build a system that provides better care to more people for less money. 
Visit
https://andrewkalloch.com/

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Teresa Alonso Leon, CD 6

Teresa Alonso Leon is a trailblazing advocate and legislator and a fighter for all Oregonians. As an Indigenous and Latina immigrant, Teresa’s lived experiences mirror many of those who live in the district. These experiences shaped her into a devoted activist and public servant who fights for working families, quality education, good-paying jobs, and universal healthcare.  
Visit
https://teresafororegon.com/

Candidates Endorsed for the 2020 general election

For State Senate:

Deb Patterson, SD 10, South Salem

Deb has a multi-decade history of healthcare advocacy, including as the Executive Director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. On her website homepage under Why Deb?, she says, “We all need access to affordable, quality health care.”  
Visit www.debpattersonor.org

For State House:

Maxine Dexter, HD 33, Northwest Portland and Northeast Washington County

Maxine is a pulmonary & critical care doctor, a mother, a business leader, and the first in her family to attend college. She will advocate for "a universally accessible system that is affordable for all with an emphasis on prevention and mental health." 
Visit www.maxinefororegon.com

Lisa Reynolds, HD 36, Southwest Portland

Lisa is a pediatrician, a mother, and an activist. She "supports Healthcare for All in Oregon, … is passionate about expanding mental healthcare, and ensuring Oregon upholds its progressive policies that support abortion access and birth control." 
Visit www.lisafororegon.com

 

Candidates Endorsed for the 2020 primary

 

For U.S. Representative:

Mark Gamba, CD 5, South Salem

Mark is the Mayor of the blue Collar city of Milwaukie, Oregon. He left a career as a photojournalist to fight for people facing issues of importance to his community and our nation - among them are the climate crisis, inadequate access to high quality health care, and income inequality. 
Visit  www.markgamba.com

For State Senate:

Deb Patterson, SD 10, South Salem

Deb has a multi-decade history of healthcare advocacy, including as the Executive Director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. On her website homepage under Why Deb?, she says, “We all need access to affordable, quality health care.”  
Visit www.debpattersonor.org

For State House:

Maxine Dexter, HD 33, Northwest Portland and Northeast Washington County

Maxine is a pulmonary & critical care doctor, a mother, a business leader, and the first in her family to attend college. She will advocate for "a universally accessible system that is affordable for all with an emphasis on prevention and mental health." 
Visit www.maxinefororegon.com

Christina Stephenson, HD 33, Northwest Portland and Northeast Washington County

Christina is a mom, a civil rights attorney, and a small business owner. She has dedicated her life to community service. She believes "we need “a comprehensive, equitable, publicly funded, and high-quality health care system to serve all Oregon residents.” 
Visit www.christinastephenson.com

Lisa Reynolds, HD 36, Southwest Portland

Lisa is a pediatrician, a mother, and an activist. She "supports Healthcare for All in Oregon, … is passionate about expanding mental healthcare, and ensuring Oregon upholds its progressive policies that support abortion access and birth control." 
Visit www.lisafororegon.com


Previous election endorsements

For the November 2018 election - we (as Oregon Right to Health PAC at that time) endorsed the candidates below, three of whom won their election and are currently serving in the Oregon House - Marty Wilde, Rachel Prusak, and Anna Williams.

We established our PAC just a few months before the 2018 election. With limited resources, we decided not to endorse any incumbents, and instead to focus on new candidates who could advance the cause of single payer.

For State Senate:

Shannon Sousa, SD 1, Southern Coast

Shannon is the owner and principle engineer for a full service sustainability consulting and contracting firm. On the issues page of her website, she says “I support health care for everyone.” She has volunteer experience with workforce development and other issues related to improving lives for those in the southern Oregon coastal region.
Visit 
www.electshannonsouza.org

Deb Patterson, SD 10, South Salem

Deb has a multi-decade history of healthcare advocacy, including as the Executive Director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. On her website homepage under Why Deb?, she says, “Deb will work for affordable healthcare for all Oregonians. There are still more than 200,000 Oregonians without health insurance. Thousands more struggle to pay rising premiums.  We can fix this problem in Oregon.”  
Visit www.debpattersonor.org

Charles Gallia, SD 20, Oregon City

Charles was a Senior Policy Advisor for Research and Evaluation at the Oregon Health Authority. He understands healthcare policy better than most people in Oregon. On his website priorities page, his first priority is healthcare, to which he says, “My career has been dedicated to improving healthcare and making it more affordable and efficient.” Visit www.gallia4oregon.com

For State House

Christy Inskip, HD 7, Roseburg, Cottage Grove

Christy is a senior community health analyst for Lane County Public Health. As she says on her website issues page, “Healthcare is a human right. Everyone deserves access to good quality, affordable health and mental health care.”  
Visit 
www.inskipfororegon.com

Marty Wilde, HD 11, southeast Eugene, Creswell, Brownsville, Marcola, Mohawk

Marty is running for an open seat held by Rep. Phil Barnhart. Marty is the executive director of the Lane County Medical Society. On his website platform page he says, “Healthcare is a fundamental right. I support universal coverage as a pathway to single payer coverage.” Visit www.wildefororegon.com

Barry Shapiro, HD 18, Silverton

Barry is a graphic designer, advertising artist, and teacher, and has bee teaching photography to incarcerated and at risk youth for more than six years. Oh his issues webpage he says, “We are the only developed nation in the world without universal healthcare… and we pay more than twice as much as the average for that “privilege.” Single-payer just makes sense.” 
Visit 
www.vote4barry.org

Danny Jaffer, HD 23, Dallas

Danny is a retired Navy pilot with a law degree and substantial volunteer experience. As a fiscal conservative, he says this about healthcare on his website on-the-issues page, “Access to quality, affordable health care is a right. It is unacceptable for the United States to remain the only developed nation to fail to provide health care for all of its citizens.”  
Visit www.dannyjaffer.com

Rachel Prusak, HD 37, West Linn

Rachel is a member of Nurses for Single Payer and the Portland Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. She has extensive firsthand healthcare experience as a family nurse practitioner. On her website issues page she says, “Affordable, accessible health care for all, including women’s reproductive services and mental health services.”  Visit www.rachelforstaterep.com

Anna Williams, HD 52, Hood River

Anna is a social worker, teacher, community leader, and a mom. On her home page under “Our Priorities. Real Solutions.” she lists her priority under Healthcare for All, “To keep healthcare affordable." Visit www.friendsofannawilliams.com