Laurie Monnes Anderson

Laurie Monnes Anderson (born December 31, 1945) is an American Democratic politician who currently serves in the Oregon Senate, representing District 25 in eastern Multnomah County, Oregon, including parts of the cities of Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, and Wood Village.

The Honorable

Laurie Monnes Anderson
President pro tempore of the Oregon Senate
Assumed office
January 9, 2017
Preceded byGinny Burdick
Member of the Oregon Senate
from the 25th district
Assumed office
January 2005
Preceded byJohn Minnis
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 50th district
In office
January 2001 – January 2005
Preceded byRon Sunseri
Succeeded byJohn Lim
Personal details
Born (1945-12-31) December 31, 1945
Coronado, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationWillamette University (BS)
University of Colorado, Boulder (MS)
Radford University (BS)

Early life and career

Born Laurie Monnes in Coronado, California, she grew up in Gresham, Oregon, one of four children of Bud and Ellene Groening Monnes, who were both teachers.[1][2] She graduated from Gresham High School and received a bachelor's degree in biology from Willamette University in 1968, and a master's in biology from the University of Colorado in 1972. In 1981, she earned a degree in nursing from Radford University.[1][3] She married and raised two children, divorcing in 1985.[2]

Political career

Following a career as a public health nurse, Monnes Anderson began serving on the Gresham-Barlow School District board in 1991. In 1998, she ran for the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 22, but lost to incumbent Ron Sunseri by 250 votes.[4] In 2000, Sunseri did not seek re-election, and Monnes Anderson defeated Republican nominee Ed Golobay for the seat in a close election.[5] She was re-elected to the seat (renumbered to District 50) by a wide margin in 2002 over Ernest Hodgin.[6]

In 2004, she sought election to the Oregon Senate in District 25. In this race, she again faced Ron Sunseri, who had defeated her in her first House race in 1998. However, this time, Monnes Anderson prevailed by 9 percentage points in an expensive race.[7]

She was unopposed for her party's nomination in 2008. She defeated Republican Dave Kim in the general election.[8]

In 2019, she was singled out for a “bad” rating by Willamette Week in its ranking of Portland area legislators.

Personal

Monnes Anderson lives in Gresham, Oregon.[1] She is a first cousin of cartoonist Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons. Monnes Anderson's mother, Ellene Groening Monnes, is the sister of Groening's father Homer.[9]

References
  1. "Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson". Oregon State Legislature. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
  2. Stine, Mara (June 14, 2008). "A daughter's care of Dad". The Outlook (Gresham). Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  3. "Laurie Monnes Anderson". Project VoteSmart. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  4. Stern, Henry (January 4, 1999). "Concerns surround Sunseri as House Education chairman". The Oregonian.
  5. Stern, Henry (November 8, 2000). "Monnes Anderson holding slim edge in House District 22". The Oregonian.
  6. "How Oregon Voted". The Oregonian. November 10, 2002.
  7. Trevison, Catherine (November 3, 2004). "Monnes Anderson wins pivotal state Senate seat". The Oregonian.
  8. "Sign in to OregonLive.com". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  9. Mortenson, Eric (November 19, 2004). "Lawmaker feels void after mother's death". The Oregonian.
Oregon Senate
Preceded by
Ginny Burdick		 President pro tempore of the Oregon Senate
2017–present		 Incumbent
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