State Sen. Rod Monroe Faces Something Rare: Two Credible Challengers in a Democratic Primary
On a recent wet Thursday, Shemia Fagan's red raincoat was so drenched that her campaign sticker kept slipping off.
But the former two-term state representative trudged on in the rain. She carried a water-filled CamelBak pack, three protein shakes and a raw carrot (no stopping for lunch) up Northeast 128th Avenue.
At each door, she delivered a pitch: "I'm running for office because of our housing crisis," she said. "So many people are talking about getting priced out of their homes, and rents are on the rise. My mom was homeless right here in East Portland for much of my childhood, so I approach the crisis not just as numbers on the page but affecting real people and real families."
That plea is resonating. Across this Oregon Senate district at the eastern edge of Portland, green-and-blue Fagan signs pop out—even on the lawn next door to the home of one of her opponents, incumbent Sen. Rod Monroe (D-East Portland).
Read more: http://www.wweek.com/news/city/2018/04/10/state-sen-rod-monroe-faces-something-rare-two-credible-challengers-in-a-democratic-primary/