Jessica Vega Pederson
Jessica Vega Pederson is a Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives, for two two-year terms, from January 2013 through 2016. Since January 2017, Vega Pederson has been serving a county commissioner for Multnomah County, the state's most populous county.
Jessica Vega Pederson | |
---|---|
Multnomah County Commissioner | |
Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Judy Shiprack |
Constituency | East and Southeast Portland |
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 47th district | |
In office January 14, 2013 – January 3, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Jefferson Smith |
Succeeded by | Diego Hernandez |
Personal details | |
Born | 1975 (age 45–46) Crown Point, Indiana |
Political party | Democratic |
Profession | Program Manager |
Early life and education
Vega Pederson was born in Crown Point, Indiana, a small town near Chicago, and raised in a Mexican-American family.[1] Vega Pederson graduated from Loyola University Chicago, where she majored in informational systems management and technology.[2]
Career
Prior to running for political office, Vega Pederson was a project manager for a tech company.[1] Her listing within the Voter's Pamphlet read: "I am not a politician. I'm a mom and a professional. My husband has his own small business. We work hard and we want a better future for our kids."[2] She and her husband have two small children and live in East Portland.[3]
In November 2013, she was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, for District 47, for a two-year term starting in January 2013.[1] She was re-elected two years later.
In September 2015,[4] Vega Pederson announced that she would not seek re-election to the House,[5] and would instead run for election to the Multnomah County Commission, for a seat that was due to become open as a result of term limits requiring its then-holder Judy Shiprack to leave the seat.[4] She won election to the commission in the May 2016 primary, representing county District 3, for a four-year term to begin in January 2017. She was sworn in on January 3, 2017.[6][7] On May 19, 2020, Jessica Vega Pederson was re-elected to a four year term on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
References
- Kozinskiy, Olga (November 14, 2012). "Emerging Women". Willamette Week. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- "Jessica Vega Pederson emphasizes education in run for District 47 seat". El Hispanic News. May 3, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- "Voter Guide: State Representative -- 47th District". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- Theriault, Denis C. (September 10, 2015). "East Portland lawmaker running for Multnomah County board". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- Hansen, Kristina (May 8, 2016). "Oregon Republicans hope to pick up a few seats in Legislature". Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. Associated Press. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- Parks, Casey (January 4, 2017) [online date January 3]. "Multnomah County: Commission is more diverse than ever". The Oregonian. p. A6. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- Manning, Rob (January 3, 2017). "Multnomah County Swears In All-Female Commission". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
External links
- Website at Multnomah County
- Project VoteSmart biography