First Candidate Announces Bid to Replace House Democrats’ Longest Serving Member

Wlnsvey Campos, a caseworker for Family Promise of Beaverton, today announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in House District 28, which covers Aloha and parts of Beaverton.

Campos, 23 grew up in Bandon and graduated from Pacific University, has also done political organizing for the Oregon Nurses Association and Our Oregon. (She pronounces her first name wins-vay.)

"I look forward to bringing my perspectives and lived experiences—as both a direct service worker and someone who grew up in a low-income, single-parent, immigrant household—to conversations about the issues that matter," she said in a statement.

It's been a long time since the House seat in House District 28, which covers Aloha and parts of Beaverton was up for grabs. Incumbent state Rep. Jeff Barker (D-Aloha) is retiring.

When Barker, 76, first won the seat in 2002, the House was in the midst of a 16-year period of Republican control that would not end until 2006.

At that time, according to state figures, registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats 90,000 to 80,000. Today, the number of Republicans in the county is fewer—81,000—while the number of Democrats has increased to 132,000.

The change in HD 28 is even more dramatic. When Barker, a retired Portland police officer first won, the number of Democrats and Republicans in his district was just about equal. Today, Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district nearly two to one.