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Congresswoman Andrea Salinas is the proud daughter of a Mexican immigrant, a first-generation American, and dedicated public servant working for the people of Oregon’s sixth district. Her father immigrated to the United States as a child and picked cotton and tomatoes in the fields of the Rio Grande Valley before eventually going on to serve as a police officer. Her family’s story is an American story – one where hard work can provide a path to a better life.

Andrea was born in San Mateo, California and grew up in Pleasant Hill, California. She was the first person in her family to attend a four-year university and earned her degree from University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduation, Andrea wanted to serve her community and country so she chose a path of public service. She served as a US congressional aide and policy advisor to Senator Harry Reid and Congressman Pete Stark. Later, Andrea moved to Oregon where she served as a district aide for Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and fell in love with the communities of the Willamette Valley.

After her work with Congresswoman Hooley concluded, Andrea stayed in Oregon and went on to serve as an advocate for labor unions, environmental groups, and reproductive rights organizations. In 2017, she was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives and served through the end of her term in 2022. In the Oregon House of Representatives, she served as House Majority Whip and was the Chair of the House Health Care Committee.

Andrea and her husband, Chris, live in Oregon with their daughter, Amelia.

Andrea’s Experience

Andrea’s experience, character, and values are what set her apart as a candidate and a legislator. She doesn’t just have talking points, she has proof points. For the past two and a half decades, she has worked in public service where she has helped level the playing field for working families and increase opportunities in our community.

She’s worked as a US congressional aide and policy advisor to three Members of Congress including Senator Harry Reid, Congressman Pete Stark, and Congresswoman Darlene Hooley. After serving as a congressional staffer for over a decade, Andrea became an advocate for labor unions, environmental groups, and reproductive rights organizations like the Oregon Environmental Council, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, SEIU Local 49, SEIU Local 503, Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), and more. She also served on the Oregon League of Conservation Voters Board for over 8 years.

In 2017, Andrea was appointed to represent House District 38 in the Oregon State Legislature. She quickly took on many leadership roles including House Majority Whip, and was the Chair of the House Health Care Committee. As an advocate and a legislator, Andrea has been a champion for women and working families, fighting for — and winning — protections for women janitors who were being abused by their employers, and passing some of the nation’s most transparent drug pricing laws so families aren’t choosing between food and prescription drugs, along with laws curbing carbon pollution and phasing out dirty coal, and the strongest reproductive rights law in the country.

Andrea is the proud daughter of a Mexican immigrant and Vietnam War Veteran who taught her what it means to fight for your kids and a better life. She is the first person in her family to graduate from a four year university. She is running for Congress so that her 17 year old daughter, Amelia, and her generation have a chance at a better future in Oregon.

Building An Economy That Works For All

Andrea comes from a union family and knows the struggles working families face every day. Andrea will fight for hard-working Oregonians, not big corporations. She helped increase the minimum wage and passed paid family and medical leave. She’ll work for a more fair tax system, so the rich pay their share and working people aren’t over-burdened. She’s committed to lowering costs for families and increasing opportunities for our communities. As an advocate for multiple unions and as state legislator, she has been a champion for higher wages, better worker protections, and stronger benefits for working families. In Congress, she will fight for a $15 minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and an even bigger social safety net for our communities. She will also work to win overtime pay for workers that aren’t currently eligible under the Fair Labor Standards Act and will be focused on creating a path to citizenship to provide opportunity for those who are thriving participants in our local communities and the US economy. She is a supporter of the PRO Act and will work hard to protect the rights of all workers. Andrea believes government policies need to level the playing field and provide opportunities for a strong working class and good-paying jobs – both critical to the long-term future of Oregon and our country.

Fighting For Affordable And Accessible Health Care

As an advocate for unions and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Health Care Committee, Andrea knows what it takes to pass good health care policy that lowers the cost of care while also improving quality and health outcomes. She knows quality and affordable health care continue to be out-of-reach for so many families. When prescription drug prices were getting out-of-control, Andrea held the pharmaceutical industry accountable and passed a bill that lowered drug costs for Oregonians.

In Congress, Andrea will do whatever it takes to increase access to affordable, high-quality care for as many people as possible immediately. Andrea believes health care is a human right and was a champion for Oregon’s Right to Healthcare Amendment. She supports capping the price of insulin and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices to make healthcare more affordable for all families. In the state legislature, Andrea helped lead Oregon through the COVID-19 pandemic as House Health Care Chair. She is focused on taking a science-backed, data-driven approach to improving access to affordable, high-quality health care for all Oregon families.

Protecting Our Right To Choose

Andrea has been a long-time reproductive rights champion. She’s worked as an advocate for NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon where she helped pass the country’s strongest reproductive rights law. She believes abortion and reproductive health care shouldn’t just be legal, but it needs to be affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. In Congress, Andrea will fight to codify the right to choose into law, and she will work to improve access to care for communities of color in particular. Andrea is an unapologetic champion for abortion access because reproductive care is health care. It is more important than ever that we elect a reproductive rights champion to Congress.

Preserving Our Planet For Generations To Come

As an Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) Board Member and advocate for multiple environmental organizations, Andrea has over a decade of experience tackling our climate crisis in Oregon. In Congress, Andrea will fight for the urgent action we need to protect our planet and natural resources. She knows we need to address climate change, but also focus on the profound and harmful impacts it has on low-income and BIPOC communities. Andrea wants to ensure that marginalized communities are provided with opportunities to prosper in a new, clean energy economy and not further harmed or marginalized by the impacts of climate change. Her approach to fighting climate change is simple: we must take bold steps, while making sure we create living wage jobs and not leave anyone behind in the process. She has a record of standing up to corporate polluters to reduce pollution, protecting clean air and water, and putting Oregon on a path to 100% clean energy.

Saving Our Democracy

Andrea knows many people are deeply concerned about the state of our democracy right now. Voting rights and our democratic institutions are under attack by people who continue to push lies and false information about the legitimacy and integrity of our elections. As a state legislator, Andrea has supported and championed many bills focused on expanding voting rights and reforming our campaign finance system. She knows our democracy works better when it is centered on the voices of the people, and not special interests. In Congress, she will focus on restoring protections for voting rights and our democratic institutions to ensure that we continue to build a diverse, inclusive, and representative democracy.

Governing with an Equity and Justice Lens

In all of the work Andrea does, she does it with an equity lens. She’s always thinking: how can we bring marginalized voices to the table to get things done? As a state legislator, she has delivered a number of impressive victories for often-underrepresented communities. She was the lead champion who passed Oregon’s historic Farmworker Overtime legislation and also passed a bill that recognized racism as a public health crisis. Her track record of fighting for what’s right has earned her the support of many trusted partners who know she will bring a strong and unique voice to Washington, DC on behalf of all of her constituents. Andrea is ready to head to Congress to fight for all people and provide representation to the Willamette Valley.

Passing Common-sense Gun Safety Legislation

As a mom, Andrea knows how scary it can be to feel like your children aren’t safe at school. She knows we need to take real action to pass common-sense gun legislation in this country and make our communities safer. For years, she has worked alongside Moms Demand Action to make sure their voices have been heard at the state legislature. Andrea played a role in passing historic gun safety legislation in Oregon. At the federal level, she will fight to pass common sense gun legislation like implementing universal background checks on gun sales, enacting a red flag law, disarming domestic abusers, reducing police violence, focusing on decreasing city gun violence, and holding the gun lobby accountable. The majority of Americans support common-sense gun safety legislation, and Andrea will make sure to prioritize the safety of our communities in Congress.

Tackling Our Homelessness Crisis

Andrea knows we need to tackle our homelessness crisis head on. She believes it’s time to invest in affordable housing, expand mental health services, fund addiction treatment, and grow economic opportunity. It will take a multi-faceted, multi-level approach to make progress. In Congress, she will deliver funding to get homeless people into housing and is committed to working with local, state and federal entities to find solutions. In order to address this crisis, we need to tackle the root challenges facing our communities, and we need to act with resolve and compassion.

Creating Safer Communities

Andrea’s dad was a police officer for over three decades. She knows the very important role law enforcement plays in keeping our communities safe. Creating safer communities means making sure police and first responders have the resources they need to do their job effectively. It also means ensuring we have the social services and programs that address the needs of the community that law enforcement might not be able to meet alone. Our communities thrive when we invest in them and create policies that make our families and kids safer and healthier.