In a press release from his campaign, Dr. Sami Al-Abdrabbuh announced that he will be stepping down as chair for the Corvallis School Board to focus on his bid for the Democratic nomination for Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District, the seat being vacated by Rep. Peter DeFazio. He will remain on the school board and hold his position as President of the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus.
“During my time on the school board and as chair, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on behalf of the parents and students of the Corvallis school district,” Al-Abdrabbuh said. “Together, we helped our school district become one of the highest performing districts in the state, passed important changes to ensure every Oregonian is welcome in our schools, and kept students and teachers safe during this pandemic.
Al-Abdrabbuh has seen the Corvallis School District through attaining status as one of the highest performing districts in the state – averaging eight points above Oregon’s average graduation rate. He’s been part of the passage and implementation of the infrastructure bond which has been modernizing local schools since 2018. Al-Abdrabbuh’s board has also focused on educational equity, mental health programs, school-based community health centers, as well as pandemic response focused on community safety, health, behavioral, housing, and family support, providing staff support and retention.
Much of the Corvallis and Benton County community has stepped up to endorse Al-Abdrabbuh, including all other members of the school board, Corvallis Mayor Biff Traber, Albany Mayor Alex Johnson II, Benton County Commissioners Nancy Wyse and Xan Augerot, and former Mayor Julie Manning. Many outside of Benton County support him as well.
“I am running for Congress because we need a leader in DC that understands what it means to serve local communities and solve local problems,” Al-Abdrabbuh said. “After receiving such overwhelming support and encouragement since announcing my campaign, I believe we need to focus on ensuring we can take the stories and lessons we have learned together over the last five years to Congress.”
Corrections: In our original report, we got the wrong name for the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus. It has been changed.
By Sally K Lehman
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