"I'm very grateful to the many, many people who helped me secure this Senate appointment, particularly to members of the  Oregon National Guard First battalion 162nd Infantry, C. Company.  Many veterans from this company, including Larry Roberta, Scott Ashby and Rocky Bixby, lobbied the Multnomah County Commissioners hard to support me because of our work together on HB 3480-A , which helped Oregon soldiers poisoned by the negligence of KBR at a water treatment plant in Basra, Iraq," said Shields.

He also thanked his wife Shelda Holmes and constituents D.D. Williams-Mott, Ulanda Watkins, Willie Mae Hart and small business owners Roy Jay, Paul Knauls, Jr. and Sharon Maxwell Hendricks for their hard work in helping advance his candidacy.  He thanked all the District 22 Precinct Committee People and the Multnomah County Commissioners for their votes of confidence.

 

Finally, he thanked and praised retiring Senator Margaret Carter.

 

"For over 25 years, Senator Margaret Carter has delivered real results for the people of  North and Northeast Portland.   It will be the honor of a lifetime to pour my heart into trying to fill her very large shoes," said Shields.

 

Shields said he is preparing to canvass House District 44, the other half of the Senate district that he did not represent in the Oregon House.  He is also scheduling a number of coffees and town halls in that portion of Senate District 22 in the coming months to better understand the concerns in that portion of the district.

 

Shields said he looks forward to working under the leadership of Senate President Peter Courtney and Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin to deliver reals results right away for Oregon and Senate District 22.