Our Mission
Our primary goal is to elect democrats to all levels of government from the smallest city councils and school boards up to national level Representatives, Senators and Democratic President. We are committed to do all that is possible to help elect Democrats to positions not only within our county but on the national level too.
In order to elect Democrats to office we must first identify and recruit them. Without identifying potential candidates we would not be able to run democrats in all the races. If you are interested or know of someone interested in running for public office please reach out to us. We try to provide support through a multitude of ways such as: volunteers, door knocking, access to space or general support. For lower level offices or people new to running for office we offer help directly with our Candidate Support Committee whose goal is to support candidates.
When possible we do our best to assist candidates with funding. This is critical in campaigns on the local level where a small amount of money can go a long way. Starting a campaign can be expensive and we are here to help when we can. This is another reason why donations are so important.
Above all else we strive to promote democratic values whenever possible. This is done through participating in events throughout the community such as marches, rallies, volunteering and providing support when possible.
Mary Nikas is the current Chair of the Marion County Democrats. Prior to this Mary has served in various functions with the party, including Chair of the Membership Committee. Mary is a small business owner and believes in making our community more friendly for families through walking and biking paths and an interconnected park system. She has worked on several local campaigns from Salem City Council to School Board to State Representative and Senate District 10. She is also proud of her work on Andrea Salinas’ election to our new Congressional District 6 and volunteers as treasurer for local campaigns. Mary began working on local campaigns in 2015 as co-founder of the local Bernie for Salem campaign. Her activism grew as she came to know and respect local Democratic candidates here in Marion County. Mary looks forward to working with local volunteers to elect Democrats who believe in Climate Action and Resiliency, Healthcare for all Oregonians, a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, compassion for our fellow community members, and in Democracy through respecting and protecting our election process. 
Evan Sorce is currently the 1st Vice-Chair and the Immediate Past Chair after serving as the Chair of the Marion County Democrats from 2018-2020. Evan previously served as the Chair of our Candidate Support Committee in 2018. He previously served as the Chair of the Polk County Democrats from 2017-2018. Evan grew up in West Linn, Oregon, graduating from West Linn High School in 2006. He moved down to the Mid-Willamette Valley to attend Western Oregon University, where he served as the Student Body President from 2009-2010. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 2010, Evan attended Oregon State University, where he received a Master of Public Policy with an Energy Policy concentration. After graduating from Oregon State in 2012, Evan worked for Catholic Community Services in their quality department, ensuring that their programs met their metrics and standards. Since January of 2015, Evan has served as State Representative Paul Evans Chief of Staff. Evan enjoys spending time with his wife Emily, walking his dog Dancer, reading, and watching the
Ashley Carson Cottingham is our 2nd Vice Chair and is a 5th generation Oregonian and has worked for the State of Oregon on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities since moving to Marion County six and a half years ago. Earlier in her career she worked in Washington, D.C. for two U.S. Senate Committees – first for Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat from Wisconsin and later for Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont. She also served as Executive Director for the national grassroots advocacy organization, The Older Women’s League. She has fought for elder justice, equity, fair pay, affordable health care, improved mental health supports, and protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid throughout her career. Ashley lives in Salem with her spouse and two children. She is a graduate of University of Oregon and Vermont Law School.
Casey is our Secretary and is a lifelong democrat who has been active in local,
Susan Schwab is our Treasurer and is a Licensed Tax Consultant with the Oregon Board of Tax practitioners and has been working in the income tax field since 1979. Susan has been a registered Democrat since 1969. A PCP from 1997-2003 she served as Treasurer for Marion County Democrats until she moved to California in 2003 where she worked for the San Luis Obispo Democratic Party until she retired as the SLOCDP Central Committee Treasurer in 2011 and moved back to Oregon where she once again was elected as a PCP and was elected Treasurer for Marion County Democratic Central Committee in 2012 until 2018. She is a member of the Fundraising committee. Susan is a Member of the American Council of the Blind of Oregon for over 40
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