Kayse Jama appointed to Oregon Senate District 24 seat January 20 2021
Executive director of Unite Oregon appointed to fill spot vacated by Secretary of State Shemia Fagan
Commissioners representing Multnomah and Clackamas counties unanimously cast votes to approve Kayse Jama as the next state senator to represent District 24, covering portions of east Portland and northern Clackamas County.
"The magnitude of this moment is not lost on me," Jama said. "My journey from a nomadic community in Somalia to the Oregon Senate is a testament to where I come from, the people of our district, and our shared values."
Jama — executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Unite Oregon — will join Oregon's legislative assembly ahead of a session that is expected to take aim at advancing issues of racial justice and fixing systemic inequities further exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.