Shemia Patricia Fagan (born September 20, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the

Oregon secretary of state The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in the line of succession to the List of Governors of Oregon, governor. The duties of the offi ...

from 2021 to 2023. She previously served as a Democratic member of the

Oregon Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

, representing Senate District 24 from in 2019 to 2021. She also represented House District 51 from 2013 to 2017. In

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, Fagan was elected as Oregon Secretary of State. In May 2023, Fagan resigned from office after revelations that she took a consulting job at a cannabis company while her office was auditing Oregon's marijuana industry, which many considered to be a

conflict of interest A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple wikt:interest#Noun, interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates t ...

Early life and education

Fagan was born in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, and was raised in

Dufur, Oregon Dufur is a city in Wasco County, Oregon, Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 604 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is a agriculture, farming community where wheat, fruit tree, tree fruit, and vineyard, grapes a ...

, and

The Dalles, Oregon The Dalles ( ;) formally the City of the Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port, the county seat of and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 United ...

by her father, with her two older brothers. She attended

Northwest Nazarene University Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho. History Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School. It was renamed twice in 1916, first to Nor ...

Nampa, Idaho Nampa () is the most populous city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 100,200 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is Idaho's List of cities in Idaho, third-most populous city. Nampa is about west of Boise, Id ...

, on a

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

scholarship, where she earned her

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in Philosophy and Religion in 2003. She then started law school at Willamette University College of Law in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...

, before earning her

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2009.

Career

Early career

After graduating from law school, Fagan became an associate at the Ater Wynne law firm in

. She was an employment law attorney with HKM Employment Attorneys. In 2011, Fagan was elected to the David Douglas School Board in eastern Portland, serving for three years before running for 51st District of the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

Oregon Legislature

During her time within the State House, she served as the chair of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness. Fagan was elected to the 24th District of the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...

during the

2018 elections The following elections occurred in 2018. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. Africa *2018 Djiboutian parliamentary election 23 February 2018 *2018 Sierra Leonean general election 7 and 31 ...

; she chaired the Committee on Housing and Development and served on the Committee On Healthcare.

Secretary of State

In 2020, Fagan secured the Democratic nomination for

Oregon Secretary of State The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in the line of succession to the List of Governors of Oregon, governor. The duties of the offi ...

in a close three-way race, and went on to defeat Republican Kim Thatcher in the general election. As Secretary of State, Fagan focused on expanding voter access, exposing inequalities through the Audits Devision, and increasing public engagement with the office of the Secretary of State. Fagan successfully advocated for a "People's Commission" on redistricting following the 2020 Census.

Ethics investigation and resignation

On April 27, 2023, ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history '' ...

'' reported Fagan had been working as a private consultant for the owners of La Mota, a cannabis dispensary chain operating in Oregon, while the Audits Division, which reports to Fagan as Secretary of State, worked on an audit of the

Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), formerly known as the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon. The OLCC was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1933, days after ...

. Fagan's office released a statement clarifying she had recused herself from the audit before the consulting contract began. La Mota was found to have given campaign contributions to Fagan and other state Democratic lawmakers. Republican leaders of the

and the

released a joint statement calling on Secretary Fagan to resign. Governor

Tina Kotek Christine Kotek ( ; born September 30, 1966) is an American politician serving as the 39th governor of Oregon since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Kotek served eight terms as the state representative from the 44th district in the Ore ...

subsequently called for an ethics investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission into Fagan's actions, along with an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice into the audit. On May 1, Fagan announced she had terminated the consulting contract, which paid $10,000 a month. The next day, Fagan announced her resignation effective May 8, due to the investigations. On August 25, 2023, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission launched an investigation into Fagan in regards to potential personal uses of state funds and campaign finances. Additionally, there are reports of Fagan reimbursing herself from both the state and campaign funds, a violation of Oregon law.

Political positions

Abortion

Fagan supports

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their p ...

. In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the ''

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...

'' decision, Fagan released a statement saying she believes that, "The right to control your own body and future is fundamental to our freedom in America."

Economy and labor

During the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case was reported on January 20, and United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Human Services Secreta ...

, including

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, Fagan voted to authorize unemployment benefits for employees working less than full time. Fagan also supported a bill in 2019 that would establish 12 weeks of paid medical leave for workers. During the same year, Fagan supported HB 2016, which provided additional privileges to labor unions in bolstering worker participation.

Environment

During her time within the Oregon House, Fagan was supportive of several key environmental bills, receiving a 100% rating from the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV). She supported SB 1547 ''Coal Transition and Clean Electricity Plan'' which set goals for Oregon to go coal-free by 2030. In 2020, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters endorsed Fagan during the Secretary of State race.

Health care

In 2019, Fagan supported HB 3076, which established standards for non-profit hospitals in Oregon, demanding non-profit hospitals to adjust patients' costs on the basis of federal poverty guidelines and prohibiting non-profit hospitals from charging interest on medical debt.

Housing

As Secretary of State, Fagan directed the Audits Division to conduct the first ever audit of Oregon's mortgage interest deduction since its inception in 1923. The audit found that the $1.1 billion housing subsidy "mostly benefits wealthy, white homeowners in the urban counties." In response to the audit, Fagan called the mortgage interest deduction "indefensible."

Electoral history

2012

2014

2018

2020

References

External links

Official biography

Campaign site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fagan, Shemia 1981 births 21st-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly 21st-century American women politicians American labor lawyers Lewis & Clark Law School alumni Living people Democratic Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Oregon lawyers Northwest Nazarene University alumni People from Lincoln County, Oregon People from Wasco County, Oregon Secretaries of state of Oregon Willamette University College of Law alumni Women state legislators in Oregon