Republican to run for Matthews’ House seat

Andre Wang, Gresham, files for District 50

By Mara Stine

The Gresham Outlook, Nov 18, 2009

Andre Wang

An attorney has thrown his hat into the political arena with an announcement he plans to run against Rep. Greg Matthews, D-Gresham, for the house seat this spring.

Andre Wang, 37, of Gresham announced his bid for Oregon House District 50 on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Portland Adventist Elementary School in Gresham, where he attended first through eighth grade.

Wang, a Republican, grew up in East Multnomah County and said he hopes to be an effective voice in Salem to reflect the sentiments of Gresham residents. He said residents are concerned about the expansion of state government stemming from the last legislative session.

“In these economic times, all of us — including government — need to be diligent, vigilant and prudent,” Wang said.

He is the first Republican candidate to announce plans to run for the two-year seat, which voters elected Matthews to fill last November. Matthews defeated veteran politician, Gresham businessman John Lim, a Republican, in his quest for a third term.

Wang is the son of immigrants. His father is from China and his mother is from the Philippines. Wang cited the opportunity that brought his parents to Oregon when they first immigrated to the United States as a motivation behind his campaign.

“Not a day goes by when I don’t remind myself that I am literally a product of the American dream,” Wang said. “The greatness and promise of Oregon is still here. But it requires that our elected leaders be good stewards of the people’s money and, above all, their trust.”

A specialist in federal immigration law, Wang works with high-tech companies, health-care institutions, non-profit associations and religious and educational organizations in the hiring of international employees.

He earned his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law and also studied at Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College and East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai, China. He received his undergraduate degree from Pacific Union College.

Wang serves on the governing boards of Adventist Medical Center, the Northwest Religious Liberty Association and the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association. Additionally, he served on the school board of Portland Adventist Academy for 11 years, serving as its chairman since 2006. Wang also is principal second violinist of the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra.

With his wife of nearly 10 years, Lisa, and daughter, Holland, 2, Wang has lived in Gresham since 2003 and in East County since 1998.

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