Retired Teamsters leader Lynn Lehrbach says he plans to run for Multnomah County Board for the District 4 seat currently held by Diane McKeel. That would make him the second union leader to seek that seat: Amanda Schroeder — president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2157 — announced her candidacy Aug. 29. McKeel is serving her second four-year term on the board, and is prevented from running again by term limits.
Lehrbach said he will launch his campaign at an upcoming meeting of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, where he was formerly first vice president. Lehrbach — a former president of Teamsters Local 162 — was the long-time representative of Teamsters Joint Council 37, and worked as a construction representative for the Teamsters international union. He currently is president of the Teamsters Retirees Club. He served one four-year term on the TriMet board of directors.
Schroeder has worked at the Veterans Administration since 2005. She is a rating specialist, determining whether and how much benefits veterans are entitled to when they file claims. A third-generation union member, she’s been president of Local 2157 since 2013. She sits on the human rights committee of her national union, and is national women’s advisory coordinator for AFGE’s eight-state District 11. Thus far, she’s been endorsed by CWA Local 7901 and AFGE Local 3937.
Neither Lehrbach nor Schroeder have officially filed to run yet. The filing deadline is March 8, 2016.
The one candidate who has filed is insurance agent Lori Stegmann, a member of Gresham City Council. Stegmann made her campaign announcement at a meeting of the Gresham Chamber of Commerce, where she’s a former board member. Stegmann is registered as a Republican; Lehrbach and Schroeder are Democrats. County Board seats are non-partisan.
