District: OR-06
Cook Political Ranking: Lean D
Performance Voter Index: D+6
Rep. Salinas has been the U.S. House Representative for Oregon’s 6th congressional district since 2023. Prior to Congress, Salinas represented Oregon’s House District 38 from 2017-2022 and served as the state’s House Majority Whip from 2021-2022. Salinas has also worked for several U.S. House and Senate members, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA), Sen. Harry Reid (NV), Rep. Pete Stark (CA-13), and Rep. Darlene Hooley (OR-5). She is also the first Latinx woman to represent Oregon in Congress alongside former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Oregon’s 6th congressional district was created after the 2020 Census showed population growth in parts of northwest Oregon. The 6th district covers Polk and Yamhill counties, along with some Portland suburbs. It’s one of the most diverse districts in the state, spanning rural areas where high numbers of voters work in the agriculture and timber industries and urban areas home to large Latinx populations. In fact, the district has the largest Latinx population of any Oregon congressional seat. Additionally, Salinas chaired the Oregon State House redistricting committee that helped create the boundaries for this new district she now ultimately represents. In the 2024 election, Rep. Salinas was challenged by Republican business owner, Mike Erickson. This matchup ws a rematch from 2022, where Rep. Salinas defeated Erickson by almost 3 percentage points (7,210 votes). Rep. Salinas won her reelection bid in 2024 by almost 7 percentage points (23,235 votes). During the 2024 cycle, Salinas raised $5.3 million compared to Erickson’s raised $1.1 million. Super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups together spent more than $600,000 in this race.