Darla Mead

Darla Mead earned a high school diploma from Rex Putnam High School, an associate degree from Clackamas Community College in 2012, and a bachelor's degree from Oregon Health & Science University in 2014.

Her career experience includes working as a nurse.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, cancer nurse, and lifelong Clackamas County resident.

I’ve worked at OHSU for 14 years with the last 9 as a lung and head & neck cancer nurse navigator. I coordinate my patient’s cancer treatments, collaborate with other disciplines to get the care they need, and provide symptom and emotional support throughout. In addition to patient care, I am involved in various areas of nursing leadership projects and committees directed toward promoting nursing. Prior to returning to nursing school as an adult learner and parent, I worked in Accounts Receivable and as a Customer Service Supervisor. I taught clinical nursing for a few years at Clackamas Community College Nursing School.

A native Oregonian, I grew up exploring the forests, waterways, and small towns of Clackamas County, greater Oregon and my aunt’s Molalla berry farm. We’ve lived and raised our family on our wooded acreage for over 26 years and experienced the 2020 Labor Day fires firsthand when a fire started across from our driveway.

Our youngest daughter was adopted through Clackamas County Foster Care. I later volunteered for years on long-term placement committees dedicated to finding forever homes for children in foster care. As the daughter of aging parents including a father with dementia, I understand the complexities and competing priorities of being in the sandwich generation.

I enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing and camping with family and friends.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As an Oncology Nurse Navigator, I see my patient's treatments delayed or denied by private insurance companies. I see them struggle with decisions between getting the treatment they need and financial devastation for their families. The chronic inability to give our patients what they need leads to moral distress and burnout in doctors, nurses and social workers. It’s too hard to find or see a primary care provider and our hospital emergency rooms are overwhelmed. Our healthcare system is broken. I strongly believe that mental and physical healthcare are human rights and should not be used for profit. If elected, I will work hard to push legislation that improves affordability and access to healthcare for all Oregonians.Oregonians are struggling to make ends meet. We need to grow our economy in ways that improve the lives of average people not just big corporations and the wealthy. I believe we can do this by investing in our rural schools and educators, expanding educational options, and supporting pathways to living wage jobs through partnerships with trades and unions. We need to close gaps in our social supports that are perpetuating dependence on those systems and undermining attempts to reach financial independence. New construction should focus on housing that fits the community’s affordability standards, not just profitability for developers. If elected, I will strive to achieve these goals for my constituents and all Oregonians.My love of Oregon and my experience with the devastating 2020 Labor Day fires drives my commitment to fighting climate change, expanding environmental protections and supporting green energy solutions. The memory of evacuating our family, pets and livestock and grabbing anything important to us in a matter of minutes is still with me. Climate change is real and clean energy is a priority. We must protect our woodlands waterways and wildlife from big corporations and federal attempts to deplete our natural resources and ravage our wild lands. If elected, I will push to achieve Oregon's clean energy goals and fight to ensure that our state’s beauty and resources are maintained for future generations and not sacrificed for short-term profits.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am particularly passionate about making physical and mental healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Oregonians. Our healthcare and insurance systems are broken and failing. Rural hospitals are floundering and people can’t get the care they need. Private insurance is either too expensive or doesn’t provide good coverage. Fixing our healthcare system and decreasing our reliance on private insurance companies will not only improve access and affordability of healthcare for Oregonians, but I believe it will improve our overall health and economy through stabilizing hospitals and creating more opportunities for rural healthcare clinics.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Janelle Bynum, US Representative CD 5

Travis Nelson, State Representative HD 44

Martha Schrader, Clackamas County Commissioner

Jan Lee, Former State Representative

Clackamas County Democrats

Oregon Trail Democrats

Oregon Nurses Association

Nurses & Friends for Single Payer

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