Sarah McDonald
Sarah McDonald (Democratic Party) is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 16. She assumed office on January 13, 2025. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.
McDonald (Democratic Party, Republican Party) ran for election to the Oregon House of Representatives to represent District 16. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024. She advanced from the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024. She advanced as a write-in from the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.
McDonald completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Sarah McDonald earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1994, a graduate degree from Virginia Tech in 2000, and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 2007. Her career experience includes working as an educator.[1]
McDonald has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety
- Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District, Budget Committee
- Oregon School Board Association, Legislative Policy Committee
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
2024
See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 16
Sarah McDonald defeated Michael Beilstein in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 16 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sarah McDonald (D / R)  | 82.8 | 24,894 |
 | Michael Beilstein (Pacific Green Party) | 15.9 | 4,781 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 388 | ||
| Total votes: 30,063 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 16
Sarah McDonald defeated Sami Al-Abdrabbuh in the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 16 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sarah McDonald | 50.7 | 5,095 |
 | Sami Al-Abdrabbuh | 49.1 | 4,932 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 20 | ||
| Total votes: 10,047 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Andrew Struthers (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 16
Sarah McDonald advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 16 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sarah McDonald (Write-in) | 11.0 | 22 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 89.0 | 178 | ||
| Total votes: 200 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
To view McDonald's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McDonald in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sarah McDonald completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McDonald's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Mom: My role as a mother has shaped my commitment to creating a better future for our children and generations to come.
Activist: I am passionate about advocating for social and environmental justice, fighting for the rights of marginalized communities, and standing up against injustice.
School Board Member: Serving on the school board has given me firsthand insight into the challenges facing our education system and the importance of ensuring every child has access to quality education.
Scientist: With a background in science, I bring a data-driven approach to problem-solving and decision-making, particularly on issues like climate change and public health.
Cancer Survivor: My personal journey as a cancer survivor has instilled in me a deep appreciation for life and a drive to make a positive impact in the world. Community Member/Friend: I am deeply invested in my community, working tirelessly to build connections, foster dialogue, and create positive change at the grassroots level.
Overall, I am a passionate advocate for progress, equity, and justice, dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around me.- As a parent, I am committed to working tirelessly to create a better future for my children and future generations. The tragic events of the Sandy Hook shooting served as a stark reminder of the importance of this commitment. Holding my child on that day, I made a solemn vow to do everything in my power to make the world a safer, more compassionate place for them to grow up in. This promise drives me each day as I advocate for positive change and strive to build a brighter tomorrow for the next generation.
- I firmly believe that inclusive decision-making leads to better outcomes. As a leader, I will prioritize listening to and engaging with those directly impacted by our decisions. I am committed to actively seeking out diverse perspectives, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued in the decision-making process. By fostering open dialogue and collaboration, we can create policies that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of our community.
- I have faced adversity head-on, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to serving my community. Resilient and determined, I bring a steadfast resolve to uphold our shared values in Salem. Despite battling cancer twice, I remained dedicated to my role, never missing a school board meeting except when undergoing surgery to remove my tumor. My experiences have made me tough as nails, ready to advocate fiercely for what matters most to our community.
Housing: Oregon is going through a housing crisis, I work to address housing affordability and accessibility challenges.
Healthcare: Drawing from personal experience as a cancer survivor, I am passionate about ensuring access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare for all.
This journey has taught us the strength we possess as a family and the incredible support we have from our loved ones. Together, we faced adversity head-on and emerged stronger than ever.
Former Governor Barbara Roberts
BOLI Commissioner Christina Stephenson
American Federation of Teachers - Oregon
Oregon Nurses Association
Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety
APANO Action Fund
Women’s Investment Network
Sierra Club Oregon
SEIU Oregon - Local 503
Progressive Democrats of America
Young Democrats of Oregon
Oregon State Building & Construction Trades Council
Moms Demand Action Candidate Distinction
State Senators Sarah Gelser Blouin, Deb Patterson, and Janeen Sollman
Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan
Corvallis City Councilor Briea Lewis, Hyatt Lytle, Laurie Chaplen, Tony Cadena, and Gabe Shepherd
Moms Demand Action Founder Shannon Watts
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.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
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 Oregon scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Oregon House of Representatives District 16 |
Officeholder Oregon House of Representatives District 16 |
Personal |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dan Rayfield (D) |
Oregon House of Representatives District 16 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
