Jackie Winters, a well-regarded Oregon state senator and the only African-American Republican ever elected to the Legislature, died on Wednesday at 82.
Winters was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1999 and the state Senate in 2003. Her legislative district included south Salem, Monmouth and rural portions of Marion County.
She rose through the Senate ranks to become vice chairwoman of the powerful appropriation committee and in 2017 was named the Republican Caucus leader – the first black person to hold that post.
Business was Winters’ calling before politics. She founded a small chain of barbecue restaurants called Jackie’s Ribs that garnered success in the Salem area during the 1980s and ’90s.
Winters had suffered from failing health in recent years. She had a heart attack that sidelined her for the entire 2016 legislative session and in 2017 announced she was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. A spokeswoman for Winters said in a statement that the senator died “after a courageous battle with cancer.”
House Speaker Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, announced Winters’ death from the House of Representatives dais and described the senator as “a true champion for justice and fairness in many ways.”
After the announcement, representatives appeared shaken and immediately went into recess. They returned a few minutes later and listened to an impromptu performance of “Amazing Grace,” as sung by Rep. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone.
Bev Clarno, the secretary of state and Oregon’s highest-ranking Republican, said Winters was “a true giant.” Winters was “the epitome of working with all and a master of bipartisanship.”
Sen. Herman Baertschiger Jr., the current Senate Republican leader, said in a statement that Winters was “an icon and leaves a legacy for all Republicans.”
“Her life is a great example that with hard work and a strong character the American Dream is possible,” he said.
Rep. Carl Wilson, the House Republican leader, said Winters was “a true pioneer, stateswoman and valiant leader” who “embodied the spirit of Oregon, overcoming obstacles, setting a course for others to following and bridging divides.”
One of Winters’ key causes was criminal justice reform, and her final vote came on April 18 when she shepherded a significant juvenile justice reform bill to passage in the Senate. The bill, which awaits the governor’s signature, would roll back mandatory minimum sentences for teenagers charged with violent crimes. Winters’ office said the bill represents her “crowning legislative achievement.”
Gov. Kate Brown called Winters “a bastion of integrity, justice, and common sense in the Oregon Legislature.”
“Her commitment to service knew no bounds. It shone through in every project she took on and every issue she tackled. I feel lucky to have had the privilege to call her my friend as well as my colleague for so many years," Brown said.
She, too, noted her important role on the juvenile justice bill, Senate Bill 1008. “I will always remember her courage in moving forward on Senate Bill 1008 just this session," Brown said. "Her legacy will live on through her family and in her community through the legislation she spearheaded to improve the lives of all Oregonians.”
-- Gordon R. Friedman; gfriedman@oregonian.com
-- Chris Lehman; clehman@oregonian.com