If elected, he would be the first enrolled member of an American Indian tribe to serve in the legislature

Wesley W. "Buddy" West is trying to become the first enrolled member of an Indian tribe to serve in the Oregon legislature.

West, who lives in Sheridan in Yamhill County, has filed for the Democratic nomination for the state representative District 23 seat.

The district includes a sliver of Yamhill County as well as chunks of Marion, Polk, Benton and Linn counties. In Linn, it includes Halsey, Shedd and Harrisburg.

West, 65, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The tribe's publicity office said that if he's elected, he'll be "the first enrolled member of an Oregon tribe to serve in the state legislature."

West was in the U.S. Army for 20 years. He served three tours in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne and was wounded.

After the service he owned a mobile-home repair business in Alabama. He moved "back to the tribe" after his first wife died in 1996, and he remarried in 1999.

According to Smoke Signals, the tribe's paper, several legislators have had Indian ancestry, but West would be the first enrolled member in the legislature if he gets elected.

Two other candidates, Democrat Jason Brown and Republican James L. Thompson, have also filed.

The incumbent, Rep. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, is not seeking re-election but has announced he may run for Congress in the 5th District.

The filing deadline is March 11. The primary election will end May 20. It will begin when ballots arrive about two weeks before that.

Democrat-Herald