State Rep. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, announced her campaign for a state Senate seat now held by Sen. Betsy Johnson, who is running for governor. (Provided by Weber campaign)
State Rep. Suzanne Weber is running for Senate in the rural northwest Oregon district long represented by state Sen. Betsy Johnson, who announced her independent campaign for governor last week.
Weber, R-Tillamook, announced her plans shortly after Johnson informed supporters she would run for governor. While Johnson was a Democrat until late last week and Weber is a Republican, the two worked closely together.
“Ever since taking office as state representative, Senator Johnson has been a model for me in working in a nonpartisan, independent manner, doing what it takes to get to yes and working with anyone and everyone to get there, no matter their political affiliation,” Weber said in an announcement video.
Weber was elected to the House in 2020, after a decade as mayor of Tillamook. She replaced state Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell, a Democrat who retired because of an out-of-state move.
She’s a retired teacher and is vice chair of the House Education Committee.
Weber was the first Republican to represent her area of northwest Oregon since 2003. Assuming changes to legislative maps stick, the redrawn 16th Senate district where she will run leans slightly more to the right than the current district.
Legislative candidates cannot officially file until after deadlines for legal challenges to redrawn district maps, but several have already announced their campaigns. State Rep. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, and State Rep. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, are also planning Senate runs.
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