Carina Miller

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Carina Miller

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Oregon

Personal

Birthplace

Madras, Ore.

Religion

Washut

Profession

Economic researcher

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Carina Miller (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Oregon State Senate to represent District 30. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Miller completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Carina Miller was born in Madras, Oregon, and lives on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in north-central Oregon. She earned a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies from the University of Oregon. Miller’s career experience includes working as an economic researcher, educator, social worker, and television production assistant.

Elections

2020

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oregon State Senate District 30

Incumbent Lynn Findley defeated Carina Miller in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 30 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lynn Findley (R)	66.9	46,471
		Carina Miller (D)	33.0	22,921
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	105

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 69,497
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 30

Carina Miller advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 30 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carina Miller	97.7	8,703
		Other/Write-in votes	2.3	208

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,911
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 30

Incumbent Lynn Findley advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon State Senate District 30 on May 19, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lynn Findley	99.2	17,244
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	142

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,386
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carina Miller completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Miller's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I live and work on the Warm Springs Indian reservation, I am Wasco, Warm Springs and Yakama. I do economic research for the Warm Springs Community Action Team. I have a degree in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon. I have worked as a head start teacher, a social worker, and a production assistant for tv news. I am a Columbia River Gorge Commissioner and was the Wasco representative on the 27th Warm Springs Tribal Council from 2016-2019.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Indigenous knowledge and people are a part of our story and we can and should lead
• I am from and for rural Oregon
• I was raised to know neighboors help neighboors

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, Climate Change, health care, natural resources, water.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I will always look up to my Grandmother, Faye Waheneka, and Great Grandmother Fannie Waheneka, they are my sun and my moon. Both did amazing things and were leaders without titles. They not only taught me traditional practices and beliefs but showed me a strong work ethic and grace under pressure.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think its important for elected officials to be able to empathize with all people they represent, to be able to work with and listen to people they might not agree with. Since before this country was founded, laws that were not just have been legal and if we continue to elect people who do not acknowledge this, we will never be able to hold up this countries creed "I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes." -William Tyler Page, 1918

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember my peers and I being interested in and talking about without prompting from adults was 9/11, I was 14.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a summer camp counselor at our culture camp the summer I was old enough to work.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The lone ranger and Tonto fistfight in heaven will always be my favorite book. It was the first time I really felt myself written onto pages.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Black Panther. Wakanda forever.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Wheels on the bus, I have a one year old son.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Being a Native American Woman who grew up in rural Oregon it was always hard to have a voice. Our education system gaslit me into buying into the idea of manifest destiny, the discovery of America and to accept the racism, homophobia, classism, and sexism that happened all around me.. I have endured traumas, I have struggled with mental health, and I could have easily been one of the statistics that led to the Missing and murdered Indigenous Women epidemic in our country. It was hard to feel and experience so many situations I did in my childhood, without the tools and support to be able to name it and process it. Its been hard to keep hope after being a social worker and realizing how many people are suffering and not getting the resources we all need and to follow the funding to our legislators and how we prioritize as people. It always has been, and always will be a struggle to maintain balance in the grief our communities feel and the hopelessness attached and being solution-oriented, pushing-fighting-and working to humanize me and in turn our people and doing it in a way that exposes the hard truths and still gives hope.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The most important difference between the two chambers is representation. Because there are fewer senators there is less chance of rural democrats ever being represented.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes and no. I know donors and money are still a huge part of politics and although I think it's important we have capable people shaping policy, I also believe new perspectives and viewpoint-neutral leadership is essential to our future.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Bridging the urban-rural divide. I think a lot more people in this state agree on the bigger picture issues but party politics and dehumanizing keeps us disconnected. Climate change and impacts on the environments we all share are calling for us to find solutions and we need to be able to work together.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

I believe an ideal relationship is one with diverse views but a true commitment to working together for the greater good from all sides.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, I do. It was essential to build relationships with people that stood on the opposite of the political aisle when I was on the Tribal Council. I think it's important for the sake of the work we will do together and I think its important to be able to relate to all kinds of people for our development as humans.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I thought I had areas of interest before I was elected to Tribal Council but I was able to grow and learn and cover more than I imagined during my three-year term.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

In my time representing my tribe, I heard many stories, but it has been the first-hand experiences working with children and families as a head start worker and social worker that fuel me to keep pushing and keep working. Its all the people of every race, gender, age, identity, that I know are falling through the cracks.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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External links

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Footnotes

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Current members of the Oregon State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Rob Wagner

Majority Leader:Kayse Jama

Minority Leader:Daniel Bonham

Senators

District 1

David Smith (R)

District 2

Noah Robinson (R)

District 3

Jeff Golden (D)

District 4

Floyd Prozanski (D)

District 5

Dick Anderson (R)

District 6

Cedric Hayden (R)

District 7

James Manning (D)

District 8

Sara Gelser Blouin (D)

District 9

Fred Girod (R)

District 10

Deb Patterson (D)

District 11

Kim Thatcher (R)

District 12

Bruce Starr (R)

District 13

Courtney Neron (D)

District 14

Kate Lieber (D)

District 15

Janeen Sollman (D)

District 16

Suzanne Weber (R)

District 17

Lisa Reynolds (D)

District 18

WInsvey Campos (D)

District 19

Rob Wagner (D)

District 20

Mark Meek (D)

District 21

Kathleen Taylor (D)

District 22

Lew Frederick (D)

District 23

Khanh Pham (D)

District 24

Kayse Jama (D)

District 25

Chris Gorsek (D)

District 26

Daniel Bonham (R)

District 27

Anthony Broadman (D)

District 28

Diane Linthicum (R)

District 29

Todd Nash (R)

District 30

Mike McLane (R)

Democratic Party (18)

Republican Party (12)