Chris Garrett Announces District 38 Run           ÂÂ

LAKE OSWEGO - Chris Garrett, a Portland attorney and former senior adviser to Senate President Peter Courtney, recently announced his candidacy for Oregon State Representative from House District 38 (Lake Oswego and SW Portland). "It's exciting to be running, especially for the chance to represent the area where I grew up," said Garrett. "District 38 has been fortunate to be represented by Greg Macpherson. It is important to replace him with someone who can hit the ground running in Salem. My experience will enable me to do that."

Chris previously worked for current State Senator Richard Devlin when Devlin was in the House of Representatives, helping push legislation allowing local communities to provide adequate school funding, requiring insurance coverage for breast cancer screening, increasing funding for seniors receiving in-home care through Oregon Project Independence, and preserving farmland from sprawl and overdevelopment.

As senior policy advisor to Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, Chris helped develop legislation to clean up the Willamette River, improve health coverage for mental illness, and help soldiers returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan get college degrees.ÂÂ

Chris grew up in the Marshall Park neighborhood of southwest Portland, where his parents still live. He attended Capitol Hill Elementary, Jackson Middle, and Wilson High School, where he discovered a love for politics and journalism and was editor of the high school newspaper.ÂÂ

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Reed College, Chris managed Devlin's successful 1996 legislative race against incumbent Bob Tiernan. Later, Chris worked for Representative Devlin in Salem, where he learned how to get things done in the State Capitol.

Chris graduated with honors from The University of Chicago Law School, then began his legal career in New York City. He worked as a law clerk for Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. While working at a Manhattan law firm, Chris volunteered his time to do pro bono work helping low-income families keep their homes, for which he received a Scales of Justice Award.

In 2002, Chris returned home to Oregon to practice law at Perkins Coie in Portland. In addition to representing some of Oregon's largest employers, Chris has continued to give free legal services to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and public officials. In 2004, Chris successfully handled an appeal for a Somali woman who requested political asylum in America after being brutalized by militants in her home country during a civil war.

Chris has also served as a past director of Oregon Lawyers Against Hunger, which has raised more than $1 million for the Oregon Food Bank. He has volunteered his time with high school students as a volunteer judge with the Classroom Law Project, helping students learn about the legal system and the U.S. Constitution.

Chris cited health care costs, higher education funding, and strengthening public schools as the most serious issues facing the state. "The 2007 legislative session was the most productive in years, but we still face many challenges, such as increasing our investment in higher education, reducing health care costs that leave hundreds of thousands uninsured, and reversing the damage done during a decade when the Legislature neglected public schools. These are all issues that can and must be addressed by our state leadership."

Chris's campaign has earned several early endorsements, including by Senate President Courtney (D‑Salem), Senator Margaret Carter (D-Portland), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Washington County), Rep. Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland), Rep. Chip Shields (D-Portland), former Rep. Chris Beck of Portland, and former Senator Charlie Ringo of Beaverton.

Chris lives in the First Addition neighborhood of Lake Oswego with his black lab, Matty.