Salem deserves someone who has lived here, knows the communities and neighbors of the district, and who has a proven track record of accomplishments working for them.
My wife, Jessica, and I have lived in the district for 20 years. I’ve headed a neighborhood association and I’ve served eight years on the Salem City Council where I’ve worked to improve the economy and livability for everyone in all Salem.
About Tom
"I am honored to have served South Salem over the last three years. I have obtained meaningful, positive achievements for my constituents, and I look forward to keeping my sleeves rolled up (and my bow tie on) in future legislative sessions."
Prior to his service as a State Representative, Tom Andersen was elected to two terms as a City Councilor where he served for eight years from 2014 to 2022.
Tom is the son of a Presbyterian minister. The family dinner table conversations were about making the world a better place, and his upbringing instilled in him the importance of community. Tom’s public service work is grounded in what his father always said: “The poor and dispossessed of our world don't need charity, they need justice."
Tom was born in Chicago, IL and moved to Oregon in 1973 to attend the University of Oregon School of Law where he graduated in 1976. He then moved to Vermont to do public interest legal work, including representing the interest of low-income groups. He moved back to Eugene in 1979, where he became a partner and litigator in a firm representing businesses and people in civil and criminal trials. In 1986 he began working as a trial lawyer for the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation (SAIF). He worked for SAIF for 19 years in its critical claims unit, trying complex cases and resolving issues around toxic workplaces and environments. In 2007, he opened his own practice and continued to argue workers’ compensation cases, including for Marion County. He retired from the practice of law in 2024; his clients are now his constituents.
As City Councilor, he worked to create over 1,500 shelter beds for homeless residents, helping transition people off our streets into permanent housing; supported Salem's innovative community-focused police station; worked to reduce bureaucracy and incentivize building affordable housing; led efforts to create Salem's Climate Action Plan; and supported successful earthquake retrofitting of the Salem Library.
Tom has a long-standing commitment to equity and inclusion. He introduced and passed Salem City Council resolutions denouncing white supremacy, institutional racism, and declaring Salem as an inclusive city welcoming to all Oregonians regardless of their origin. In 2019 the Salem-Keizer NAACP presented Tom with its “Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major For Justice Award" for his leadership in racial and social justice efforts while on the Salem City Council.
Tom lives in Salem by Bush's Pasture Park with his wife Jessica, a journalist and author. Tom has two Oregonian sons: Ben, a public defender, and Eli, a naturopathic physician.