Shemia Fagan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 28thSecretary of State of Oregon | |
| In office January 4, 2021 – May 8, 2023 | |
| Governor | Kate Brown Tina Kotek |
| Preceded by | Bev Clarno |
| Succeeded by | Cheryl Myers (acting) |
| Member of theOregon Senate from the24th district | |
| In office January 14, 2019 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Rod Monroe |
| Succeeded by | Kayse Jama |
| Member of theOregon House of Representatives from the 51st district | |
| In office January 14, 2013 – January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick Sheehan |
| Succeeded by | Janelle Bynum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1981-09-20)September 20, 1981 (age 44) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Northwest Nazarene University (BA) Lewis and Clark College (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Shemia Patricia Fagan[1] (born September 20, 1981)[2] is an American lawyer and politician who served as theOregon secretary of state from 2021 to 2023. She previously served as aDemocratic member of theOregon Senate, representingSenate District 24 from in 2019 to 2021. She also representedHouse District 51 from 2013 to 2017.[3] In2020, Fagan was elected as Oregon Secretary of State.
In May 2023, Fagan resigned from office after revelations that she took a consulting job at a cannabis company while her office was auditing Oregon's marijuana industry, which many considered to be aconflict of interest.[4]
Fagan was born inPortland, Oregon, and was raised inDufur, Oregon, andThe Dalles, Oregon by her father, with her two older brothers.[5] She attendedNorthwest Nazarene University inNampa, Idaho, on asoccer scholarship, where she earned herBachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion in 2003.[6] She then started law school atWillamette University College of Law inSalem, Oregon, before earning herJuris Doctor fromLewis & Clark Law School in 2009.[6]
After graduating from law school, Fagan became an associate at the Ater Wynne law firm inPortland, Oregon. She was an employment law attorney with HKM Employment Attorneys.[7]
In 2011, Fagan was elected to theDavid Douglas School Board in eastern Portland, serving for three years before running for 51st District of theOregon House of Representatives.
During her time within the State House, she served as the chair of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness. Fagan was elected to the 24th District of theOregon State Senate during the2018 elections; she chaired the Committee on Housing and Development and served on the Committee On Healthcare.[8]
In 2020, Fagan secured the Democratic nomination forOregon Secretary of State in a closethree-way race,[9] and went on to defeat RepublicanKim Thatcher in the general election.[10] As Secretary of State, Fagan focused on expanding voter access, exposing inequalities through the Audits Devision, and increasing public engagement with the office of the Secretary of State.[11][12] Fagan successfully advocated for a "People's Commission" on redistricting following the2020 Census.[13]
On April 27, 2023,Willamette Week reported Fagan had been working as a private consultant for the owners of La Mota, a cannabis dispensary chain operating in Oregon, while the Audits Division, which reports to Fagan as Secretary of State, worked on an audit of theOregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Fagan's office released a statement clarifying she had recused herself from the audit before the consulting contract began.[14] La Mota was found to have given campaign contributions to Fagan and other state Democratic lawmakers.[15] Republican leaders of theOregon House of Representatives and theOregon State Senate released a joint statement calling on Secretary Fagan to resign.[16]
GovernorTina Kotek subsequently called for an ethics investigation by theOregon Government Ethics Commission into Fagan's actions, along with an investigation by theOregon Department of Justice into the audit.[17] On May 1, Fagan announced she had terminated the consulting contract, which paid $10,000 a month.[18] The next day, Fagan announced her resignation effective May 8, due to the investigations.[19]
On August 25, 2023, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission launched an investigation into Fagan in regards to potential personal uses of state funds and campaign finances. Additionally, there are reports of Fagan reimbursing herself from both the state and campaign funds, a violation of Oregon law.[20]
Fagan supportsabortion rights. In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of theRoe v. Wade decision, Fagan released a statement saying she believes that, "The right to control your own body and future is fundamental to our freedom in America."[21]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States, includingOregon, Fagan voted to authorize unemployment benefits for employees working less than full time.[22] Fagan also supported a bill in 2019 that would establish 12 weeks of paidmedical leave for workers.[22] During the same year, Fagan supported HB 2016, which provided additional privileges to labor unions in bolstering worker participation.[22]
During her time within the Oregon House, Fagan was supportive of several key environmental bills, receiving a 100% rating from theOregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV). She supported SB 1547Coal Transition and Clean Electricity Plan which set goals for Oregon to go coal-free by 2030.[23] In 2020, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters endorsed Fagan during the Secretary of State race.[24]
In 2019, Fagan supported HB 3076, which established standards for non-profit hospitals in Oregon, demanding non-profit hospitals to adjust patients' costs on the basis of federal poverty guidelines and prohibiting non-profit hospitals from charging interest on medical debt.[22]
As Secretary of State, Fagan directed the Audits Division to conduct the first ever audit of Oregon's mortgage interest deduction since its inception in 1923. The audit found that the $1.1 billion housing subsidy "mostly benefits wealthy, white homeowners in the urban counties." In response to the audit, Fagan called the mortgage interest deduction "indefensible."[25]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 2,765 | 98.18% | |
| Misc. | 51 | 1.81% | ||
| Total votes | 2,816 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 12,584 | 52.8% | N/A | ||
| Republican | Patrick Sheehan (Incumbent) | 11,199 | 47.2% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 23,783 | 100.0% | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan (Incumbent) | 10,518 | 52.4% | N/A | |
| Republican | Jodi Bailey | 9,450 | 47.1% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 20,064 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 6,628 | 62.0% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Rod Monroe (incumbent) | 2,151 | 20.1% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Kayse Jama | 1,906 | 17.8% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 10,685 | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 30,887 | 95.1% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 1,606 | 4.9% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 32,493 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 209,682 | 36.23% | |
| Democratic | Mark Hass | 205,230 | 35.46% | |
| Democratic | Jamie McLeod-Skinner | 159,430 | 27.55% | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 4,395 | 0.76% | |
| Total votes | 578,737 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shemia Fagan | 1,146,370 | 50.31% | +6.84% | |
| Republican | Kim Thatcher | 984,597 | 43.21% | −3.85% | |
| Pacific Green | Nathalie Paravicini | 82,211 | 3.61% | +1.06% | |
| Libertarian | Kyle Markley | 62,985 | 2.77% | +0.29% | |
| Write-in | 2,340 | 0.10% | -0.09% | ||
| Total votes | 2,278,503 | 100.0% | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Oregon 2021–2023 | Succeeded by Cheryl Myers Acting |