The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners and Clackamas County Board of Commissioners held a joint session on Wednesday, Nov. 5, appointing Lamar Wise to Oregon House District 48. Wise will fill the vacated seat after the recent passing of Rep. Hòa Nguyễn.
Wise, a Democrat and longtime labor organizer, was appointed to the position by a vote among members from both Boards during Wednesday’s virtual meeting.
Oregon law requires that a legislative vacancy be filled by county commissioners representing the district in which the vacancy exists and that legislative appointments must be made from the same political party as the previous legislator.
Wise was among three finalists seeking appointment to House District 48, joining José Gamero-Georgeson, vice chair of the David Douglas School District Board, and Terrence Hayes, a business owner and community advocate.
Wise will serve the remainder of Nguyễn’s two-year term, which ends in January 2027. Wise will be sworn into their newly appointed position at a later date.
Currently serving as political director for Oregon Council 75 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Wise is a former executive director of the Oregon Student Association and has served as a board member for several economic and social justice organizations.
House District 48 covers parts of both Clackamas and Multnomah counties, including outer southeast Portland and communities such as Happy Valley, Damascus and Boring.
Wednesday’s appointment was livestreamed on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners’ YouTube Channel.