Karen Minnis grew up and spent most of her life in East County. A native Oregonian, her family's roots run deep and Minnis never forgot where she came from or the people she met throughout her life.
After serving as her husband John's Legislative aide from 1985-1997, Minnis decided to run for his State Representative seat after John Minnis chose to run for the State Senate in 1998.
Minnis won her first race and every race after that. Immediately recognized for her strength and leadership qualities, Minnis was chosen to be Majority Leader in 2001 and then Speaker of the House from 2003-2006, serving in that capacity through two legislative sessions and steering Oregon back into prosperity.
As Speaker of the House, Karen Minnis was responsible for upholding the wishes of Oregon voters, leading the fight against increased taxes on working Oregonians and helping to stabilize Oregon's economy.
