Mari Watanabe
Mari Watanabe (Democratic Party) is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 34. She assumed office on January 19, 2025. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Watanabe (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Oregon House of Representatives to represent District 34. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on May 19, 2026.[source]
The Multnomah County and Washington County Boards of Commissioners appointed Watanabe to the Oregon House of Representatives District 34 on January 15, 2025, to replace Lisa Reynolds (D). Watanabe is the first female Japanese American to serve in the Oregon House of Representatives.[1]
Biography
Prior to being appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives District 34, Watanabe served as executive director of Partners in Diversity, based in Portland, Oregon, from 2010 to 2023. She was named the first executive director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon in 2008.[2]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2026
See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 34
Incumbent Mari Watanabe (D) and Alexandria Goddard (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 34 on May 19, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mari Watanabe | |
| Alexandria Goddard | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 34
Shaunie Cousins (R) is running in the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 34 on May 19, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Shaunie Cousins | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oregon State Legislature in 2025.
- Humane Oregon — Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues.
- Oregon League of Conservation Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oregon State Legislature in 2024.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Oregon League of Conservation Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lisa Reynolds (D) |
Oregon House of Representatives District 34 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Serin Bussell |
Portland Community College Board of Directors Zone 4 2023-2025 |
Succeeded by - |
