Andrea Salinas is the Democratic and Independent Party of Oregon nominee for re-election to Oregon's 6th Congressional District, which she has represented since January 2023. A first-generation college graduate, she worked as a congressional aide and in labor, environmental and consulting roles before serving in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2017 to 2022, including as Majority Whip. In Congress she serves on the Agriculture and Science, Space, and Technology committees.[1][2][3]
Salinas was born in San Mateo, California. According to her office, her father immigrated from Mexico as a child, picked cotton and tomatoes in the Rio Grande Valley, and later became a police officer.[1][2] A first-generation college student, she earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1994.[1][2]
Salinas began her career as a congressional aide and policy advisor to U.S. Senator Harry Reid and Representative Pete Stark, then served as a district aide to Representative Darlene Hooley in Oregon.[2][1] She later worked for the National Treasury Employees Union and the Oregon Environmental Council, then as a principal at SHARP Strategies Consulting and as vice president of Oregon government affairs for Strategies 360. Her office says she also advocated for labor unions, environmental groups and reproductive-rights organizations.[1][2]
In September 2017 Salinas was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives (District 38) to fill a vacancy, and she was elected to full terms in 2018 and 2020 and served through 2022. In the House she was Majority Whip and chaired the House Health Care Committee.[1][2][4]
She won the newly created, open 6th District in November 2022 over Republican Mike Erickson and was re-elected in 2024, again defeating Erickson.[1][4] Salinas serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture, and on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. She co-chairs the Mental Health Caucus and is Vice Chair of Member Engagement of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[3] According to her office, she lives in Tigard with her husband Chris and their daughter.[2]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.
