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Chris Gorsek

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Chris Gorsek
Member of the Oregon State Senate
from the 25th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2021
Preceded byLaurie Monnes Anderson
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 49th district
In office
January 14, 2013 – January 11, 2021
Preceded byMatt Wand
Succeeded byZach Hudson
Personal details
Born (1958-01-28) January 28, 1958 (age 66)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Gresham, Oregon, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Oregon (BS, MA)
Portland State University (PhD)
ProfessionEducator/Legislator
Websitegorsekfororegon.com
Chris Gorsek's voice
Gorsek speaking about the 77th Oregon Legislative Assembly
Recorded July 31, 2013

Chris Gorsek (born January 28, 1958, in Portland, Oregon)[1] is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate representing District 25 since January 11, 2021.

Background

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Gorsek earned his Associates Degree from Portland Community College, a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from the University of Oregon, followed by a PhD from Portland State University. As a nontraditional student Gorsek worked full time at local grocery retailer Fred Meyer as a cashier, it was in this capacity that he became a member of the UFCW. He is an educator teaching criminal justice and geography at Mt. Hood Community College, prior to going back to university he served as a Police officer for the Portland Police Bureau.[2] Gorsek has worked all of his adult like in careers with union representation under collective bargaining contracts, he cites growing up in a household where his father was able to support a family and make a living wage because of organized labor. Gorsek's father was a member of the AWPPW who worked at the Crown Zellerbach mill in West Linn.

State Legislature

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Senator Chris Gorsek has spent his career advocating for East Multnomah County, public safety and civil rights. From joining with his colleagues in fighting for the region's only birthing center[3] to introducing innovative legislation that has led to an 80% drop in catalytic converter thefts[4] Sen. Chris Gorsek continues to have an enduring impact regarding quality of life in East Multnomah County.

In 2021 Senator Gorsek worked with the National Innocence Project and the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth to pass one of our nation's first laws that prohibit police from using deceptive interrogation tactics on minors. The law bans commonly used deceptive interrogation tactics, including false promises of leniency and false claims about the existence of incriminating evidence. Both of these tactics have long been identified as significantly increasing the risk of false confessions, which have played a role in about 30% of all wrongful convictions overturned by DNA. False confessions are also the most frequent contributing factor in wrongful conviction cases involving homicides. And recent studies suggest that children under 18 are between two and three times more likely to falsely confess than adults.[5]

In April of 2024 Senator Gorsek's legislation overhauling the framework of Oregon's debt collection rules, The Family Financial Protection Act (FFPA) was signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek. The legislation changes the amounts collection agencies can garnish and sweep from a debtor's pay and savigings.

Designed to address multifaceted challenges, the FFPA offers comprehensive protections for families recovering from debt and shields consumers from unjust collection practices. Key provisions of the bill include:

  • Home Protection Expansion: The value of a home protected from seizure has been increased to $150,000 for individuals and $300,000 for couples, a significant rise from the previous $40,000 protection for individuals.
  • Gradual Wage Exemption Increase: By 2027, the amount of wages exempted from court seizure or garnishment will rise and be adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation.
  • Bank Account Protection: The first $2,500 in a person’s bank account is now shielded from garnishment or seizure, preventing debt collectors from wiping out entire accounts.
  • Protection Against Unowed/Incorrect Debt: It is now a violation of the law to attempt to collect a debt when a collector knew or should have known that the debt did not exist or was inaccurately calculated.
  • Motor Vehicle Protection: Debtors will be entitled to exempt up to $10,000 for any motor vehicle, an increase from $3,000.
  • Fair Legal Fee Protection: Consumers no longer need to worry about covering the creditor or debt collectors’ attorney fees, making it financially viable to contest incorrect debts and leveling the playing field for consumers.[6]

Other legislation introduced and championed by Senator Gorsek in his tenure in office, that begun after being first elected to the Oregon House in 2012, includes legislation limiting the use of drugs on public transport, new tools for law enforcement to intervene in street racing and legislation outlawing the sale of fake car safety airbags.

Elections

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  • 2012 - Challenged incumbent Republican Representative Matt Wand for the District 49 seat, Gorsek was unopposed for the May 15, 2012, Democratic Primary, winning with 2,392 votes,[7] and won the November 6, 2012, General election with 11,459 votes (54.2%) against Representative Wand.[8]
  • 2000 - Republican Senator John Lim was term limited (since repealed) and left the Senate District 11 seat open, Gorsek was unopposed for the May 16, 2000, Democratic Primary, winning with 7,838 votes,[9] but lost the November 7, 2000, General election to Republican nominee John Minnis.[10]

Electoral history

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2012 Oregon State Representative, 49th district[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 11,459 54.2
Republican Matthew Wand 9,602 45.4
Write-in 75 0.4
Total votes 21,136 100%
2014 Oregon State Representative, 49th district[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 9,527 60.4
Republican Bill Beckers 6,141 38.9
Write-in 107 0.7
Total votes 15,775 100%
2016 Oregon State Representative, 49th district[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 16,076 96.5
Write-in 582 3.5
Total votes 16,658 100%
2018 Oregon State Representative, 49th district[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 11,045 51.3
Republican Justin Hwang 9,658 44.8
Libertarian Heather Ricks 826 3.8
Write-in 21 0.1
Total votes 21,550 100%
2020 Oregon State Senator, 25th district[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 30,206 51.9
Republican Justin Hwang 27,882 47.9
Write-in 76 0.1
Total votes 58,164 100%
2024 Oregon State Senator, 25th district[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Gorsek 29,253 55.9
Republican Raymond E Love 22,936 43.8
Write-in 130 0.2
Total votes 52,319 100%

References

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  1. ^ "Chris Gorsek's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  2. ^ Staff, Advocate. "CHRIS GORSEK: TEACHER BY DAY, POLITICIAN BY NIGHT". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. ^ Staff, Outlook Staff. "East County lawmakers band together in support of Legacy Birth Center". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  4. ^ Manfield, Lucas. "Police Have Cracked Down on Catalytic Converter Thieves. Here's Who They Nabbed. 2022 was a banner year for prosecutions under Oregon's revamped scrap metal laws". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  5. ^ Staff, Innocence Project. "Oregon Deception Bill is Signed into Law, Banning Police from Lying to Youth During Interrogations". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. ^ D'Amelio, Krista. "NACBA State Advocacy: Oregon's Family Financial Protection Act (FFPA), Awaits Governor's Signature". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  7. ^ "May 15, 2012, Primary Election Abstracts of Votes". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 20. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  8. ^ "November 6, 2012, General Election Abstract of Votes". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 20. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  9. ^ "May 16, 2000 Primary Election". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 20. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  10. ^ "November 7, 2000 General Election". Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. p. 20. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  11. ^ "Official Results | November 6, 2012". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "November 4, 2014, General Election, Official Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  13. ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  15. ^ "November 3, 2020, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  16. ^ "November 5, 2024, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
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