Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, poses for a campaign photo. (Photo by Elisabeth Loomis Photography)
The only Oregon House Democrat to buck her party on a recent transportation tax vote won’t seek reelection to the Legislature and will instead run for Clackamas County Commission.
Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, won her race to represent the 40th House District in 2022 by just 181 votes againstRepublican candidate Adam Baker.Her district spans Oregon City, Oatfield and unincorporated areas in north Clackamas County and is one of the state’s most competitive legislative districts.
In the 2025 legislative session, she served as the chair of the Early Childhood and Human Services Committee and was a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water.
As a member of the Snipe Clan of the Cayuga Nation, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, she has advocated for indigenous rights — pushing for bills to make it easier torename locationswith offensive titles and including tribal voices in legislativecelebrationshonoring history.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” said Hartman. “But last week made it clear to me that party politics and bureaucracy get in the way of true people-centered solutions. I want to serve where collaboration matters, more than party lines, and that’s right here at home.”
Hartman wasthe only House Democraton Sept. 1 to oppose a major transportation bill that would raise the gas tax, car registration fees, electric vehicle fees and the payroll tax for public transportation to raise $4.3 billion over the next 10 years.
Hartman said she’s proud of what she’s accomplished in Salem, but she’s stepping down to work closer to home and focus on raising her daughters.
“The chance to serve on the county commission means I can focus on the work I love, while being closer to my girls,” she said in a statement. “I’m ready to come home and work to strengthen public safety, protect our children, expand mental health and addiction services and make sure that every family feels like their voice is meaningfully being heard.”
Hartman will continue serving in the Oregon House until the end of her term. Thursday is the first day candidates can officially file for office. She is running for the commission’s Position 4 seat, currently held by Diana Helm, who was appointed in May to replace former CommissionerMelissa Fireside, a Democrat indicted on theft and forgery charges.
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