Mari Watanabe is anAmericanDemocratic politician currently serving in theOregon House of Representatives. She represents the34th district, which contains portions ofMultnomah andWashington counties and includes the communities ofBethany,Bonny Slope,Cedar Mill,Oak Hills,Rockcreek, andTanasbourne as well as parts of northernBeaverton and northwesternPortland.

Watanabe was selected by Multnomah and Washington County Commissioners at a joint meeting on January 16, 2025 to fill the vacant seat, beating out candidates Sarah Beachy and Alexandria Goddard.^[1] The vacancy was created byLisa Reynolds's move to theOregon Senate to fill the vacancy created byElizabeth Steiner's election asOregon State Treasurer.^[2]

She is the firstJapanese American to ever serve in either branch of theOregon Legislature.^[3]

Watanabe was the first executive director of the Japanese Museum of Oregon. She has also worked for thePortland Business Alliance and Partners in Diversity and has served on the boards of directors forPortland Community College and the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.^[2] She has lived in the Bethany area for nearly two decades.^[3]

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