The Marion County Board of Commissioners voted on Wednesday to appoint Salem City Councilor Chris Hoy as the state representative for House District 21.
The former Clackamas County Undersheriff will fill the seat left vacant by Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, who announced his retirement from the legislature last month to take care of his mother. Clem has represented Salem constituents for 14 years, first winning the election in 2006.
Salem City Councilor Chris Hoy was selected by a 2-1 vote of the Marion County Board of Commissioner Tuesday, Dec. 8, to replace Rep. Brian Clem as state representative for House District 21.
Ron Cooper
County commissioners were split 2-1 on the vote, with Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Colm Willis voting for Hoy; and Commissioner Danielle Bethell choosing Nancy MacMorris-Adix, a former Salem-Keizer Public Schools board member and local nurse.
Other candidates put forth for consideration by the Marion County Democratic Party included local attorney Kasia Quillinan and Hoy’s fellow Salem City Councilor, Virginia Stapleton.
In making his case, Hoy said that the short timeframe between now and the February 2022 legislative session would require the appointee to work closely with other lawmakers to advance legislation representing the interests of HD 21 constituents — a task he feels well-suited to take on with his experience as a local leader.
Hoy told commissioners that he does not live within the boundaries of the recently redrawn HD 21 and therefore won’t seek election to the seat next year.
“In the upcoming session, I can play a critical role in public safety policy, how we address homelessness and other vital areas, bringing local values and a local perspective to conversations where that voice is often missing,” Hoy said.
Commissioner Cameron — who served in the legislature representing HD 19 from 2005 to 2014 — thanked Clem for the work he’s done over the past decade and a half on behalf of Marion County citizens.
“From the bottom of my heart, I really appreciated the service that we have had, the friendship I had with Rep. Brian Clem,” Cameron said. “I’m not sure what he’s going to do in the future, but he has been a great representative for this district, and whoever serves in his place in the next year will have an opportunity to try to fill that void.”
Commissioner Willis said that he decided to vote for Hoy after considering who best has a grasp of the needs of voters in HD 21.
“I feel like he has an understanding, more specific understanding, of some of the challenges that we’re facing,” Willis said. “He will be a good partner for us.”
Hoy will join the legislature just in time to attend a special session Gov. Kate Brown has convened for next week. The session is intended to address the state’s ailing rent assistance program and a couple of other timely issues facing Oregon.