About

Lamar is running to be the next representative for the hard-working people of House District 48, which includes communities in East Portland, Happy Valley, Gresham, Damascus, Barton, and Boring.

As a labor advocate fighting for the rights and dignity of working people, a board member of economic and social justice organizations, and the former executive director of the Oregon Student Association, Lamar Wise has worked hard to expand access to education, opportunity, and prosperity for everyone.

Economic Opportunity

Oregonians work hard, but for too many of us, our paychecks get eaten by rising gas, food, utility, and healthcare costs, driven by corporate price-gouging. Our next representative needs to fight for a thriving community, and that means fighting for a thriving local economy. Lamar will:

• Working with local governments to bring home community and small business revitalization grants so that local businesses and working-class families have the opportunity to thrive.

• Prioritize investments in working families, not tax cuts for wealthy corporations.

• Fight for labor rights and worker protections so that Oregonians can see their hard work pay off and lead to prosperity.

Education

The late Representative Hòa Nguyễn was a fearless advocate for quality education. Having led the Oregon Student Association and helped pass major education reforms like the Student Success Act, Lamar is ready to pick up the torch and continue Rep. Nguyễn's work to ensure every child in Oregon gets the quality education they deserve, even in times of reduced federal funding. His priorities include:

• Addressing chronic absenteeism and making sure students are in class, learning.

• Advocating for smaller class sizes so our students receive the support and attention they deserve.

• Prioritizing full funding of special education programs and setting every student up to succeed.

• Expanding access to affordable childcare so that working families with young children can thrive.

Access to Behavioral Healthcare

We need to improve Behavioral Health access and availability to meet the needs of Oregonians. Lamar has years of experience landing increased funding and support for behavioral health. He'll bring that experience to the legislature and fight to get Oregonians the help they need. Lamar will:

• Fight to protect mental health and addiction treatment from disproportionate cuts during federal funding reductions and find new investments to keep the system stable.

• Increase our behavioral health workforce to meet the needs of communities across the state, including supporting the development of the Clackamas County Recovery Campus.

• Protect access to critical care so people can get the help they need, when they need it.

Increasing Our Housing Supply

Every Oregonian deserves the opportunity to rent safe, stable housing or to buy their first home. That's why Lamar will fight to increase Oregon's housing stock and protect renters. Lamar will:

• Fight for the rights of first-time home buyers and renters.

• Prioritize affordability and availability of housing.

• Cut red tape to speed up Oregon's progress towards our housing goals.