Many residents within Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill Counties have a new elected official to represent them in the Oregon Senate.

Commissioners from each county overwhelmingly voted for the appointment of Courtney Neron, a Democrat who was in the midst of her fourth term representing House District 26 at the state Capitol, during a meeting Wednesday, May 7. Tigard City Councilor Jeanette Shaw and David Backen were the two other candidates to fill the seat vacated by Aaron Woods.

Woods, a Wilsonville resident and district senator since 2023, died in April of cancer.

Neron is a Wilsonville resident and former teacher in the Tigard-Tualatin and Yamhill-Carlton school districts. She has served in the Oregon Legislature since 2019.

In a press release, Neron listed some of her accomplishments as helping to pass the Student Success Act and the modernization of the Toxic Free Kids Act, as well as serving as chair of the House Education Committee,  co-vice chair of the Legislature’s environmental caucus and  a member of the childcare caucus. She received support from the Senate District 13 Democratic Precinct Committee Persons as well as Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-District 25, and many local elected officials.

“I am honored to be selected for this role in the Senate, and I know we have important responsibilities ahead. My focus will stay on effective education policies, supporting our workforce, and protecting all that makes Oregon a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” Neron said in the press release.

State law required that the appointee be a Democrat, the same political party as Woods. Washington County commissioners received the greatest share of the appointment vote due to its higher percentage of the district’s population, while Clackamas commissioners received the second-highest share and Yamhill commissioners had the smallest.

During the meeting, the commissioners asked the three candidates a bevy of policy questions on topics ranging from homelessness and housing to transportation, unfunded mandates and economic development. The candidates also each issued closing remarks.

Among other things, Neron expressed her support for preserving affordable housing properties and helping communities with infrastructure to bolster housing development, investments in multimodal and transit infrastructure, utilizing county fairgrounds as resiliency hubs, and efforts to provide people facing homelessness and mental health crises with the services they need. She also said she was undecided on a bill that would provide unemployment benefits to striking workers and felt that both perspectives on the issue had some merit.

Overall, she said she would bring heart, discipline and diplomacy to her new role.

“I’ll work every day to honor the trust of the district and ensure the policies we pass reflect the needs, values and financial realities of the communities we serve,” Neron said before she was appointed.

Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai expressed the importance of an elected representative being responsive and receptive to the concerns that local governments and constituents face.

“For me, Courtney Neron has been that leader in Oregon,” Fai said.

Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West said that, despite some policy differences between the two, Neron has been helpful in advancing needed legislation, that their conversations are productive and that she has been a pleasure to work with. Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington mentioned Neron’s track record as a reason for voting for her.

The only dissenting voice was Washington County Commissioner Jerry Willey, who felt comfortable with Neron staying in her role in the House and supported Shaw because he believed she would bring a business-focused pragmatism to the Legislature.

“I like her economic development background and a little bit more of a moderate personality, a moderate political philosophy. Our Senate and House are both supermajorities and that doesn’t lend to democracies to me,” Willey said.

Shaw received support from Tualatin City Council President Valerie Pratt, Tigard Chamber of Commerce Chair Tom Engel and Tigard City Councilor Jake Schlack (who also supported Neron). During her remarks at the meeting, she said she was ready to get to work on issues like economic and workforce development, technology, transportation and housing production.

“As a city councilor I understand what residents and businesses are struggling with both in Tigard, but throughout our region,” Shaw said.

Now that Neron’s House seat is vacant, there will be an appointment process to fill it.