County Dems elect youngest chair and vice-chair in Oregon

Dayton native Omar Sandoval wasn’t predicting a career in politics or government when he applied for a fellowship with immigrant rights’ group Movimiento Cosecha in 2018, yet it started his career working on behalf of politicians and their causes.

Sandoval, 23, is now the first person of color and the youngest to serve as the chair of the Yamhill County Democrats. Along with Gustavo Guerrero, 24, they became the youngest county chair and vice-chair duo in the Oregon Democratic Party when they were elected in April.

Yamhill County Democrats say they are the first Oregon party to elect two Latinos into the top leadership roles. Their priorities include engaging voters of color and young voters to demonstrate they have a role in Yamhill County and Oregon politics.

“There are a lot of people in the county who are of diverse backgrounds who maybe have not thought of themselves or envision themselves as a potential candidate and elected official,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval, whose family is from the Mexican states of Zacatecas and Jalisco, lives in Dayton and organized a drivers-licenses-for all-campaign in Boston and has walked across states to raise awareness for DACA, the program implemented during former President Obama’s administration that allows immigrants who were brought here illegally as children to remain in the U.S.

He’s also worked for Oregon House Reps. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, and Mark Meek, D-Clackamas County, before his current role serving as chief of staff for Oregon House Rep. Teresa Alonso León, a Woodburn Democrat.

Working for these legislators proved to him the importance of electing a diversity of voices, he said.

“I want to get more communities of color involved in the decisionmaking. Trying to open doors for others is my goal,” Sandoval said.

For Guerrero, the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013 sparked his interest in politics and his commitment to ensuring diversity in leadership, which includes people of color, or POC.

“It’s a common theme in parties in Oregon that there’s a lack of diversity in leadership positions. My main goal was to try to help elect Latino or POC candidates to our local offices and really help create a sense of representation,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero, whose family owns Guerrero Produce in Amity, moved to Yamhill County from the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, as an infant, and was once undocumented, a perspective that has shaped his political values.

“There’s a sense of lacking political power, and you go to the peripheries of society, and you’re afraid, and you question your identity and whether you belong,” Guerrero said, who lives in McMinnville. “I wanted to show that we’re not only rightfully here but we have leadership to show us that we’re present.”

A recent graduate of Western Oregon University, he participated in student body government, has volunteered with local advocacy group Unidos Bridging Community, attended vigils for undocumented students and migrant children separated from their parents and participated in the recent Yamhill County and Portland protests against police violence and systemic racism.

He is the field organizer for the reelection campaign of Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth.

Sandoval and Guerrero’s goals include outreach to unaffiliated voters, young voters and voters of color, who they believe are often used as political tokens instead active and worthy participants.

“It’s hard seeing this huge POC outreach in election years, and as soon as the folks are sworn in, it’s back to normal,” Sandoval said.

In 2018, the majority of candidates who ran for the Oregon Legislature were white, according to data from Chris Stout, an Oregon State University professor who researches racial and ethnic politics, legislative politics and political behavior. About 4.9% of candidates were Latino, 3.7% were Asian, 3.1% were Black and 1.2.% were Native Americans.

Data from the National Conference of State Legislatures reveals in 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, 3% of the Oregon Legislature was Latino or Hispanic while 2% was Black or African American. The share of other non-white legislators did not exceed 1%.

Census estimates from that year indicate 12.3% of Oregon residents were Hispanic or Latino, 5.4% were Asian, 3% were American Indian or Alaska Native and 2.7% were Black or African American.

To help with their goals, Yamhill County Democrats hosted a Latinx-focused candidate training on Wednesday, June 25, at the Dayton Courthouse Square Park with a panel of four Latinx elected officials from the area. Latinx is a gender-neutral term referring to people of Latin American origin.

During the bilingual event, panelists described their experiences and obstacles they have faced as candidates of color and the importance of representation in politics. Guerrero also emphasized that Latinos compose nearly one-fifth of Yamhill County, yet are underrepresented in city councils and school boards.

Julia Martinez Plancarte, the first Latina elected to the Newberg City Council, switched between English and Spanish to explain running for office is about having a say in the kinds of values a city or community upholds. If people with various perspectives are not in these roles, decisions won’t reflect their interests, she said.

“It’s really important for kids to be able to see themselves in these positions, and representation is not enough. We have to make sure these folks who are representing us are doing what they say they are doing for the community and are truly connected,” Martinez Plancarte said.

Roland Herrera, the first Latino on the Keizer City Council, described growing up in Woodburn in the 1960s when there were only a few Mexican families, and some of the causes for which he advocates on the neighboring city council.

A constituent once asked for a city survey in Spanish, only to discover that it didn’t exist. Among Herrera’s proudest accomplishments were collaborating to broadcast the council meetings in Spanish along with the defeat of Measure 105, which sought to repeal Oregon’s sanctuary law.

“I want to make sure that more Latinos are engaged and consider running for office. If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu,” Herrera said. “The more different perspectives you have, the better decisions you come out with.”