Mari Watanabe
Oregon State Representative, District 34. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2028.
- Bills became law
- 3
- 9 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 4.1%
- Chamber median 9.4%
- With party
- 98%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +46.1
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Emergency Management and Veterans · vice chair
- Economic Development, Small Business and Trade
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Became law Apr 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Watanabe sits in the Oregon House of Representatives
Watanabe is closer to the center than 51% of the chamber's Democrats.
Closest: Hai Pham, Julie Fahey, Shannon Isadore
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:59 PM ET
With Watanabe’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Democrats98%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills36%
Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Oregon House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Watanabe’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.
| Date | Bill | Watanabe | Dem. majority | Rep. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2026 | SB 1590: Relating to public lands; and declaring an emergency. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 35–12 |
| Mar 3, 2026 | SB 1576: Relating to accessibility standards for housing; and prescribing an effective date. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 34–10 |
| Feb 27, 2026 | HB 4124: Relating to the state post-secondary education system; and declaring an emergency. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 36–6 |
| Feb 27, 2026 | HB 4089: Relating to criminal offenses related to work. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 33–9 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | HB 4128: Relating to sale of single-family residences. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 38–16 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Watanabe was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Oregon House District 34 | Won | D+46.1 | D+48.0 | −1.9 |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Oregon Secretary of State and civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $75K
- Spent
- $51K
Source: Oregon Secretary of State (ORESTAR) filings through Oct 3, 2026Updated Oct 15, 2026, 1:03 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Mari for Oregon State | Active |
Source: Oregon Secretary of State (ORESTAR) filings through Oct 3, 2026Updated Oct 15, 2026, 1:03 AM ET
Who Watanabe has run against
- Shaunie Cousins (R) · 2026 general, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Oregon Secretary of State and civicAPI (unofficial)
How we know Watanabe
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/2b313ed5-ef42-4c8f-ae67-5dbac7346118
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET