DPO Staff

Candy Emmons is the Deputy Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Candy is a 5th Generation Oregonian, raised in Salem, Oregon. Candy became interested in local politics and government at a young age when she met Governor Barbara Roberts at the Capitol in Salem on a visit with her Girl Scout Troop.

Candy has volunteered for a variety of campaigns and issues including LGBTQ+ and Reproductive Healthcare issues, working as an Organizing Fellow for President Obama’s 2012 Campaign, and serving as the Vice-Chair of the Benton County Democrats.

In 2016, after many years working in Youth and Camp program management, Candy joined the Democratic Party of Oregon Staff and is glad to put her skills to work helping to defend working families, immigrants, veterans, and other vulnerable populations through her work with the Democratic Party. Candy lives in Portland with her husband Vaughn and their dogs, Dobby & Rosie.

In his role as Data Director for the Democratic Party of Oregon, Jonathan empowers campaigns across Oregon to run more effective, data-driven programs.

Jonathan got his start in politics knocking on doors for Democratic candidates in 2004 and phone banking for Senator Merkley in 2008. His desire to give back to the community began in the Boy Scouts of America, and has continued with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program as a mentor and advisory board member. Jonathan has also volunteered to create, administer and analyze surveys in Spanish for the Mexican Consulate at community health fairs.

As a lifelong Oregonian, Jonathan has focused his career around better understanding human behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. Majoring in Social Science Research and Spanish at Portland State University, he has pursued his passion to utilize data for social and political change. After graduating, Jonathan taught English in Argentina and traveled throughout South America.

Mario Parker-Milligan is the Constituency Organizing Coordinator for the Democratic Party of Oregon. He came to the DPO after working to recruit progressive people of color, women, LGBTQ folks and people under 35 to run for local office in Oregon and Washington.

He got his start in politics at Lane Community College, where he worked with students to organize and campaign for Democrats in Lane County for then Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy. After college he worked for the Oregon Student Association – one of the nation’s last remaining student run – student-led non-partisan statewide organizations, first as Equal Rights Organizer, then Legislative Director helping secure the state’s largest reinvestment in post-secondary education since the 1980s – before becoming their Executive Director. Focusing on leadership development, legislative and campus advocacy, and building power for college students by running one of the country’s largest and most effective non-partisan voter engagement programs.

Born in Washington state, Mario has called Oregon home since the turn of the century and has resided in the Portland Metro for the last decade. Mario loves exploring the PNW with his partner and fur babies and can often be found pontificating the cultural impacts of Beyoncé and RuPaul and contemplating what Freeing Britney actually means.

Eddie Kurtz is the Communications Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon.

After training as a theatre director in Missouri and North Carolina, Eddie moved to California to work at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Motivated by his opposition to the war in Iraq, he shifted his focus to politics and became a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. He then joined Courage Campaign, the Golden State’s largest and most effective progressive organization, eventually rising to the role of executive director. He served in that role for six years and oversaw the organization’s relaunch as Courage California before moving to Portland, Oregon to better support his young family. During the 2020 election, he served as campaign manager for Oregon State Representative Courtney Neron, before joining the Democratic Party of Oregon as Communications Director in 2021.

Claire is the Deputy Development Director for the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Claire was raised in the Portland area, but left Oregon to attend Trinity University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication. Afterwards, Claire attended the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and received a Master’s of Nonprofit Organizations.

Upon graduation Claire moved back to the Portland area where she served an AmeriCorps year at Schoolhouse Supplies. Claire is excited to join the Democratic Party of Oregon!

In her free time, Claire enjoys cooking, cross country skiing and spending time with her dog, Riley.

Gavin Coble is the Party Affairs Coordinator of the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Gavin is a 6th generation Oregonian, raised in Bend and Canby. His first interest in politics and government came from being involved in Oregon Model United Nations throughout high school.

After high school, Gavin enlisted in the United States Air Force, in which he served six years and two deployments. After he received his honorable discharge in 2016, he went on to attend The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

During his time at GW, he served as an intern for Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio, the Democratic National Committee in the Chair and CEO’s office, and the Democratic Party of Oregon. During his last semester at GW, he was brought back to the DNC to serve as an Advance Coordinator for Chairman Tom Perez.

Since graduating from college, he has served as a Legislative Assistant to Oregon State Representative Julie Fahey, and as a Researcher, Regional Field Director, and Operations Assistant at the DPO.

An avid explorer, Gavin is excited to serve throughout Oregon and continue the DPO’s incredible work at building strong county parties and allied organizations. From Clatsop to Malheur, and from Curry to Wallowa, he’s looking forward to organizing Democrats and bettering the lives of all Oregonians…and also expand on his hobby of photography.