She will join a long list of appointed leaders
This week, a near-unanimous decision from County Commissioners for Benton, Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties selected Anna Scharf to fill the vacant position as Representative of House District 23. She will be officially sworn in as the newest State Representative July 12 at 11:00am in the Chamber of the House of Representatives.
“It’s an honor to be selected to represent my friends and neighbors of House District 23,†said Representative-designee Anna Scharf. “I look forward to continuing my service for these communities, now as their State Representative, and working with people across the district to empower their voices in Salem.â€
Anna Scharf previously worked as a policy analyst in the office of District 23, working on behalf of constituents on a variety of legislative issues. Scharf works for Scharf Farms in Polk County, owned by her husband’s family.
Of the current sitting members, 13 -- including Scharf -- were originally appointed to their seats, which is 21.6%. With over 1/5 of the current members being appointed by county commissioners and then able to run as incumbents, some observers see this as a significant gap in accountability to actual voters.
| Representative | Appointment Date |
| Representative Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) | 2017-11-28 |
| Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) | 2019-08-13 |
| Representative Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) | 2004-01-23 |
| Representative Gary Leif (R-Roseburg) | 2018-05-09 |
| Representative Rick Lewis (R-Silverton) | 2017-02-23 |
| Representative Raquel Moore-Green (R-Salem) | 2019-07-25 |
| Representative Rob Nosse (D-Portland) | 2014-07-07 |
| Representative Mark Owens (R-Crane) | 2020-01-30 |
| Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) | 2017-09-18 |
| Representative Anna Scharf (R-Amity) | 2021-06-06 |
| Representative Barbara Smith Warner (D-Portland) | 2014-01-15 |
| Representative Andrea Valderrama (D-Portland) | 2021-04-01 |
| Representative Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie) | 2005-01-27 |
*In 2016, Rep. Gail Whitsett effectively created an appointment when she filed for re-election, withdrew at the last
minute and E. Werner Reschke filed for her seat, again, at the last minute. |
For Republicans, who serve in the minority and are probably more prone to get frustrated and leave (or be subject to expulsion) seven out of 23, or 30.4% were originally appointed.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-07-09 09:54:16 | Last Update: 2021-07-09 10:34:17 |
