Cheryl Myers

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Cheryl Myers

|office = Secretary of State of Oregon

|status = Acting

|governor = Tina Kotek

|term_start = May 8, 2023

|term_end = June 30, 2023

|predecessor = Shemia Fagan

|successor = LaVonne Griffin-Valade

|birth_date =

|birth_place = South Korea

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

}}

Cheryl Myers is an American politician serving as the deputy Oregon secretary of state and tribal liaison since 2021. She was the acting secretary of state in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Myers ran for the Oregon House of Representatives in 2010 but was defeated by Republican Patrick Sheehan.{{Cite web |title=2010 Primary Election Official Results |url=http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/Recordhtml/6873663 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=records.sos.state.or.us}}{{Cite web |date=2010-11-02 |title=2010 General Election Official Results |url=http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/Recordpdf/6873642 |url-status= |website=Oregon Secretary of State |page=20}}

Early life and education

Myers was born in South Korea and later orphaned.{{Cite web |title=Oregon Secretary of State |url=http://sos.oregon.gov/ |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=sos.oregon.gov |language=en}} She was raised in Southeast Portland, after being adopted by a working-class Oregon family. She graduated from Marshall High School.{{Cite web |title=Candidate Information--Cheryl Myers |url=https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cfDetail.do?page=search&cfRsn=9714&OWASP_CSRFTOKEN=6BMO-K2OP-AQ8C-E6OG-RKAE-BDT7-FK82-G98Q |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=secure.sos.state.or.us}}

Career

Myers began her career in public service as a member of the school board of the North Clackamas School District. She was appointed in 2005 and served until 2013, eventually becoming the school board chair. She later served on several other boards, including the Center for Women's Leadership, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, Campus Compact, and Metropolitan Family Service.{{Cite web |title=Cheryl Myers |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-myers-b2b89b14/details/experience/ |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=LinkedIn}}{{Cite web |last=Klein |first=Elisa |title=City of Portland Mayor; Cheryl Myers Archives |url=https://www.portlandsocietypage.com/tag/city-of-portland-mayor-cheryl-myers/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=Portland Society Page |language=en-US}} Since 2018, Myers has served on the board of directors of Holt International Children's Services, the organization that facilitated her own adoption process.{{Cite web |last=Coordinator |first=Carmen Hinckley, Adult Adoptee Community Outreach |date=2023-04-03 |title=Meet Holt Board Member Cheryl Myers |url=https://www.holtinternational.org/cheryl-myers-holt-board-member/ |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Holt International |language=en-US}}

In 2010, Democrat Brent Barton declined to run for reelection in the 51st district of the Oregon House of Representatives in order to run for the Oregon Senate. Myers ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination but lost to Republican Patrick Sheehan in the general election, receiving 10,330 votes compared to Sheehan's 12,409. Sheehan lost reelection in 2012 to Democrat Shemia Fagan, Myers's future boss.{{cite web|url=http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/RecordView/6873690|title=Official Results - November 6, 2012 General Election|date=November 6, 2012|accessdate=May 10, 2016|format=pdf}}

In 2011, Governor John Kitzhaber appointed Myers to work in the governor's office as an advocate for minority, women and emerging small business.{{Cite web |last=Esteve |first=Harry |date=2011-01-07 |title=Kitzhaber names chief of staff, other aides |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2011/01/kitzhaber_names_chief_of_staff.html |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=oregonlive |language=en}} She later served as Oregon's Director of Economic and Business Equity.

In December 2020, then Secretary-elect Shemia Fagan announced that she would appoint Myers as the Deputy Secretary of State. She was the first Asian American or Pacific Islander to serve in the position.{{Cite web |last=McCann |first=Tim |date=2020-12-14 |title=Secretary of State-Elect Shemia Fagan Announces Two Key Hires |url=https://dpo.org/news/secretary-of-state-elect-shemia-fagan-announces-two-key-hires/ |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Democratic Party of Oregon |language=en-US}} She is also the tribal liaison.

On May 8, 2023, Myers assumed the role of acting Secretary of State following Secretary Fagan's resignation, prompted by concerns about her moonlighting as a consultant for a cannabis dispensary chain.{{Cite web |title=Shemia Fagan resigns as Oregon secretary of state following cannabis consulting scandal |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/02/shemia-fagan-resign-cannabis-oregon-secretary-state/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR3r4aKJx6l5nCJ8Ct3PlkKc0B7lILExPa4IhEe2DKt-LZ2_UBTKlHF5yBw |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=opb |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-02 |title=Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers to Continue SOS Agency Oversight During Transition |url=https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=143942 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=www.oregon.gov}} As Oregon's chief elections officer, Myers presided over the local elections in Oregon on May 16, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-09 |title=Governor Tina Kotek Issues Statement on Secretary of State Appointment Timeline |url=https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=143976 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=www.oregon.gov}} On June 30, 2023, Governor Tina Kotek appointed LaVonne Griffin-Valade to serve as the Secretary of State of Oregon, after which Myers resumed her role as the Deputy Secretary of State.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-30 |title=Oregon's 29th Secretary of State, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, Sworn Into Office |url=https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=166772 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.oregon.gov}}

Electoral history

= 2010 =

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Oregon State House's 51st District Democratic Primary Election, 2010 {{cite web |url= http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/Recordhtml/6873663 |title= 2010 Primary Election Official Results |publisher= Oregon Secretary of State |location= Salem, Oregon |page= 45 |access-date= May 9, 2023}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Cheryl Myers

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 3,354

| percentage = 98.07%

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

| party =

| candidate = Misc.

| votes = 66

| percentage = 1.93%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 3,420

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box begin

| title = Oregon's State House 51st District Election, 2010

{{cite web |url= http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/Recordpdf/6873642 |title= 2010 General Election Official Results |publisher= Oregon Secretary of State |location= Salem, Oregon|access-date= April 30, 2015}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Patrick Sheehan

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 12,409

| percentage = 54.47%

| change = N/A

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|candidate=Cheryl Myers|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=10,330|percentage=45.34%|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate no change

| party =

| candidate = Misc.