State Rep. Suzanne Weber, the Tillamook Republican who represents state House District 32, will run for state Sen. Betsy Johnson’s seat.

Johnson, a Scappoose Democrat who represents Senate District 16, announced on Thursday that she will run for governor in 2022 as an independent. Late Thursday, Weber announced her Senate campaign in a Facebook video.

Weber edged Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, an Astoria Democrat, for an open House seat in 2020. It marked the first time a Republican had won the North Coast district in almost two decades.

“I think that there needs to be continued representation from this area from someone who is deeply invested in this area, and I feel that I am that person,” Weber said in an interview.

“And Sen. Johnson and I have been talking about this for quite some time,” she continued. “You know, a lot of people have been urging her to take this step.”

Weber, who called Johnson a “local hero” and her governorship aspirations “game changing,” said she had been thinking about this move for a long time in the event Johnson decided to run.

“I feel it’s really important to work across the aisle to get the solutions that are appropriate for the problem rather than the party,” Weber said.

Weber has lived in Tillamook for more than half a century. A former Tillamook mayor and city councilor, she said that her long-term knowledge of the region has helped her understand what her district needs.

She said that state agencies and departments need to be upgraded to handle events like the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout, such as evictions and landlord reimbursements. “All of those things need a person who is going to be there to continue to work to improve those agencies and those systems,” she said.

A retired elementary school teacher, Weber said voters have recognized her dedication to issues like education and housing. “I think that they can trust me to be able to do that, to represent them,” she said.

“I know the people in the area. I know the conditions that we live under in rural Oregon,” she said, “and I think I have a real good grasp of common sense and common-sense solutions.”

Once Johnson declared her candidacy, Weber started discussing her campaign with her staff. “We’ll be coming forward with plans and ideas very soon,” she said.

Asked what her priorities as a state senator would be, Weber said, “Continuing to make rural Oregon and the coast an integral part of decision-making in our state.”

Andy Davis, the chairman of the Clatsop County Democratic Party, said that although there has been talk among Democrats of who the party might put up to challenge and replace Weber, no names have been decided on.

“Obviously, since (Weber is) in the opposite party from us at the moment, we’ve been thinking about it since she was elected,” he said.

As for who Weber would like to see replace her, she said she will not be giving endorsements. However, she said, “I have a list of people that I will be talking to, to encourage them to move forward and decide to run.”

Weber said she intends to serve out her first term. “I will continue to represent this area to the best of my ability until my term is up. I do not intend to resign,” she said. “There is so much work that needs to be done.”