A Q and A with the new Vice Chair 1 of the Multnomah County Democrats

Andre Miller was elected First Vice Chair of the Multnomah County Democrats on June 13th. So that our members could get to know Andre better, the MultDems Communications chair shares a transcript of his chat with him, held over a cup of coffee at Human Bean in Portland, Oregon.

Andre will host a Meet and Greet session with PCPs at the Northeast Community Center on August 10th during 11am to 1pm. If interested in attending, please RSVP to communication@multdems.org.

Q: First off, do you go by Andre or Dre? 
A: Either is fine!

Q: How do the people who really know you describe your personality? 
A: They probably describe me as a fierce, imaginative and innovative leader. 

Q: Where did you grow up? 
A: I grew up in NE Portland. I lived in the Black community and went to predominantly Black schools (Whitaker Middle School and Jefferson High school). In high school I ran track and played football. 

Q: When did you start to become aware of politics? 
A: It was Rodney King in 1991. I was eight years old and watched it on TV and followed the whole trial with my family. It’s interesting because my youngest son was five or six when George Floyd happened, so he has gone through a similar thing. I was also a senior in high school when 9/11 happened and that experience transformed my outlook on the way the world works, especially with all the military recruiting they were doing at Jefferson. 

Q: What has your professional journey been like? 
A: I’ve worked a bunch of different jobs. In high school I started working in warehouses and had jobs at both FedEx and UPS. I then worked at the Rose Garden as a ‘converter’ and helped to transition the space from basketball to hockey to other events. I was an assembler and manager at Wayne Dalton, a company that builds garage doors. I was then the warehouse manager and facilities manager for Henry V, doing events for Adidas, Tillamook, Daimler and more. In December of 2020, I talked to Jo Ann Hardesty about working for her as a Community Justice Organizer and got the job. That was my first experience in government. In that role I led the gun violence prevention work in the Mount Scott-Arleta neighborhood and also collaborated with Street Roots and Portland Street Response on houselessness. After that I worked for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management as a Community Resilience Coordinator, teaching communities of color about preparedness in the event of a disaster. I then got a job with the Community Safety Division as a Policy Analyst. In that role I work on non-traditional responses in public safety and how to incorporate them into the first responder system. A lot of my work involves meeting with other cities and states to discuss and share innovative ideas and policies pertaining to public safety. 

Q: It sounds like 2020 was a very tumultuous year for you. Could you tell me more about it? 
A: After George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor I was protesting all summer, primarily with Rose City Justice. I led a lot of their marches and did a lot of de-escalation work with them. In July I was live recording a protest downtown and ended up getting shot in the forehead with a tear gas canister by a federal agent. That incident took me out of action for a month, but I used that time to connect with other activists and learn how to organize. 

Q: What issues are most important to you?  
A: I am passionate about gun violence, houselessness and substance abuse because it has directly impacted my life. 

Q: Why did you want to get involved with the Multnomah County Democrats? 
A: I feel like I can be a bridge to a younger generation. I can be an advocate for them. I can help them get what they want and need. I can show people who don’t normally get involved that they too can have a voice. 

Q: Tell me about one of your hobbies. 
A: I got into a severe car accident in 2023. I was hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way on I-5. I’m lucky to be alive, but I broke my leg and several discs in my back. I’m still going through recovery, but the good news is that now I’ve become a gym rat to get my strength back. I love it. When you face something like that, you get a new perspective on life. I’ve also really gotten into yard work and my kids call me old [laughs].

Q: Favorite ice cream?
A: Anything with Oreos in it. 

Q: Favorite TV show?
A: Right now I’m really into watching Suits. 

Q: Favorite author? 
A: James Gilligan. He’s a psychiatrist who writes a lot about why people commit violence. 

Q: Favorite sports team? 
A: Oh I’m a die-hard Blazers fan. I was there when Clyde was going up against Jordan and when the Blazers were playing the Lakers in the playoffs. I’ve been through all of the ups and downs for sure. I even helped to start a fan club in 2010 called Blazer Gang. We created all kinds of merchandise and did events for fans. CJ McCollum and Jusef Nurkic wore our stuff!

To contact Andre, email vicechair1@multdems.org.