Voter Pamphlet Statment
Born and raised in Medford, I am the proud son of an immigrant from El Salvador. My journey in politics began in high school when I volunteered for my first campaign in 2013. Since then, I have dedicated over a decade to strengthening our Party – from becoming Oregon’s youngest-ever DNC delegate in 2016 to serving as our youngest-ever presidential elector in 2020. I was first elected as a State Central Committee delegate when I was 17 and today, I proudly serve as your DPO Secretary.
I have held leadership roles at every level – county parties, DPO caucuses, committees, and the 2nd and 6th Congressional District Committees. I know how each piece of our Party fits together, but more importantly, I know that success comes from teamwork.
To elect Democrats across Oregon, we must work together – building trust, maintaining transparency, and prioritizing respect. I am committed to strengthening our Party, not just for this moment, but for the future. Let’s move forward – together.
What are three things you would do in this role to advance our goals of electing more Democrats up and down the ticket, and also to help advance our platform and values as Democrats?
Strengthen communication between the DPO and county parties by reinvigorating the county liaison program between county parties and DPO officers, ensuring local voices are heard.
Foster collaboration among and between our counties and caucuses to maximize impact. Our grassroots efforts must be empowered.
Leverage my decade of experience working in the legislature to ensure Democrats statewide understand how they can help pass progressive policies and hold power effectively.
What is one thing you would do that you think would have the biggest impact in growing and building the Democratic Party?
Establishing a year-round, permanent Coordinated Campaign is critical. The DPO’s core mission is to elect Democrats, and the Coordinated Campaign does that. Yet in 2024, we lacked a Coordinated Campaign, leaving our partners to pick up the slack. With new state campaign finance laws in 2026, we must act now. I am committed to building a truly statewide operation that invests in every community and values every Democrat, ensuring we never again miss an opportunity to organize, engage, and win.
How can the party strengthen the relationship with the legislature and other elected officials?
True party leadership means understanding the realities of governing. Now in my tenth legislative session, I serve as Chief of Staff to Senator Lew Frederick, giving me a deep understanding of how policy is made. I have worked to bridge the gap between activists and elected leaders – because engagement must go beyond simply inviting elected officials to events and acknowledging their presence. We need real, two-way communication that respects and strengthens their role within our Party.
Nathan’s Commitment to Labor Unions:
The Democratic Party wouldn’t exist without unions—plain and simple.
Labor has always been the backbone of our Democratic/progressive movement, and as Chair, I’ll make sure our Party reflects and encourages that reality in everything we do. Democratic candidates win because of Union support - both financial and boots-on-the-ground. Yet as a Party, while we gratefully accept their generous donations and event sponsorships, we do a poor job of ensuring the voice of labor is heard in our meetings. Our Union siblings need to have seats and voices at EVERY level in the Party.
In my work in the legislature, I’ve built strong relationships with our labor partners, making sure they know they can always count on our office to be an ally. The same should be true of the DPO. We say we’re a partner to labor, and in many ways, we are—our staff is unionized, we print exclusively with union shops, and we prioritize unionized venues for events. That’s all important, and it must continue. But support for labor isn’t just about what we say—it’s about how we show up. When our labor partners are negotiating a contract, organizing a pressure campaign, or on strike, they should know we’ll be there—no hesitation, no question.
Unions must be an integral part of the DPO’s campaign strategy and a key partner in our year-round Coordinated Campaign. This isn’t just about elections—it’s about standing with workers every single day.
One of my proudest accomplishments is co-founding the Volunteer Organizing Committee that led to Oregon’s legislative staff becoming the first in the nation to unionize. I fought hard for that, with Union organizer Ray Lister, and I continue fighting to move our contract forward. I’m a proud card-carrying member of IBEW Local 89 and was an IBEW delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Organizing is personal to me. My mom has worked in Medford schools for decades and is a proud OSEA member. In 2014, I was a junior in high school and MEA went on strike for 16 days—and I stood with my teachers on the picket line every single day. That’s the kind of solidarity I bring to this work. That’s the kind of solidarity WE need to bring to this work.