Oregon House race pits Medicaid, sanctuary law against enforcement stance
Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that Democratic Rep. Lesly Muñoz and Republican challenger Noemi Legaspi, both daughters of Mexican immigrants, are competing for House District 22 in the Willamette Valley, a majority-Hispanic district that has seen heavy federal immigration enforcement activity. Muñoz, the incumbent, says she would defend funding for the Oregon Health Plan and Healthier Oregon, a state program providing health coverage regardless of immigration status, and supports the state's sanctuary law. Legaspi has not detailed a Medicaid-specific platform but favors closer coordination between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies. The race, decided by just 161 votes in 2024, will be decided in the November election.