Rabbi Fora
Candidate for Oregon Governor
A bold, justice-driven leader bringing decades of political organizing, community advocacy, and compassionate governance to Oregon's highest office.
Who is Rabbi Fora?
Rabbi Fora, known legally as Forest Alexander, has experienced a journey of dedication and transformation. Born "Nathan White" into a working-class family in Pasadena, Texas, she developed strong values from an early age. She pursued higher education by attending a community college, San Jacinto College (2009-2012), and earned her BFA from DePaul University (2012-2016). She proudly followed her sister as the second in her family to achieve a college degree.
Prior to her current identity, she served as a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Austin, Texas (2018-2021), a role undertaken under her former name. Today, "Rabbi Fora" elegantly combines her rabbinic title with a chosen name, reflecting her spiritual and community leadership.
A Leader Forged Through Service
Rabbi Fora (she/they) represents a new generation of political leadership—one that understands the intersections of justice, community, and governance from lived experience. As a trans woman with deep roots in political organizing, social work, education, and spiritual leadership, she brings an unparalleled perspective to Oregon's gubernatorial race.
From knocking on over 10,000 doors as a grassroots organizer to managing million-dollar field operations, Rabbi Fora has demonstrated both the humility to listen and the strategic vision to lead. Her journey through theatre arts, social services, and political campaigns has equipped her with the creative problem-solving skills and cultural competency Oregon needs in this pivotal moment.
With connections spanning JVP, DSA, SRA, IfNotNow, JLF, WFP, and countless community organizations, she understands that real change happens when we build coalitions that center the most marginalized voices and creating space for all Oregonians to thrive.
A Career Built on Impact
Rabbi Fora's professional trajectory tells the story of someone who doesn't just talk about change—she builds the infrastructure to make it happen. Her career represents a deliberate path of increasing responsibility, each role deepening her understanding of how to mobilize communities and transform systems.
1
Theatre Arts Foundation
Bachelor of Fine Arts from DePaul University and training at Second City Conservatory, building skills in storytelling, public presence, and creative problem-solving that would become foundational to her political communication style.
2
Grassroots Organizing
Field Organizer for Collective Campaigns, personally knocking on over 10,000 doors across multiple states. Contributed to flipping a Texas State Representative seat, mastering volunteer recruitment, training, and the art of authentic voter connection.
3
Statewide Leadership
Statewide Field Director for FuturePAC, managing 15 field directors and overseeing a $1 million budget. Developed comprehensive district-specific strategies that delivered measurable electoral victories across Oregon.
4
Strategic Political Direction
Co-Founded 3D Collective, providing high-level strategic consultation to progressive campaigns. This entrepreneurial venture represents the culmination of decades of organizing experience and political acumen.
5
Community & Spiritual Leadership
Serving as a Rabbi while maintaining deep connections across social justice movements, Rabbi Fora bridges spiritual wisdom with practical political action, understanding that justice work requires both moral clarity and strategic execution.
Cross-Sector Excellence: Skills That Transcend Boundaries
What makes Rabbi Fora uniquely qualified isn't just her experience in any single sector—it's the powerful synergy created when skills from theatre, social work, political organizing, and spiritual leadership converge. This cross-pollination enables her to approach Oregon's challenges with both creativity and pragmatism.
Leadership & Management
- Staff management across political, nonprofit, and educational sectors
- Budget oversight exceeding $1 million in field operations
- Volunteer coordination and high-performance team building
- Project management from strategic conception to measurable completion
Communication & Advocacy
- Powerful public speaking honed through theatrical training
- Professional writing and compelling content creation
- Cross-cultural communication and coalition building
- Multilingual capacity: English, Spanish, ASL basics
Strategic Operations
- Comprehensive campaign strategy development
- Data-driven decision making and systems management
- Financial oversight including accounts payable/receivable
- Event planning and large-scale coordination
Creative Problem-Solving
- Theatrical direction and production experience
- Innovative curriculum development for diverse learners
- Improvisation and rapid adaptability in crisis moments
- Compassionate crisis management informed by social work
Why This Matters: Oregon faces complex, interconnected challenges that require leaders who can think across traditional boundaries. Rabbi Fora's theatrical background enhances her ability to communicate vision and inspire action. Her social work experience ensures policies center human dignity and practical support. Her organizing expertise means she knows how to turn values into votes and lived reality into legislation.
A Vision for Oregon's Future
Rabbi Fora's campaign for Oregon Governor represents more than a candidacy. It is an open invitation to reimagine what's possible when we center justice, build authentic coalitions, and lead with both strategy and compassion.
Her unique background positions her to tackle Oregon's most pressing challenges: housing affordability, climate resilience, healthcare access, economic equity, and protecting the rights of all Oregonians, especially those most marginalized. She understands that effective governance requires both the moral clarity to know what's right and the political skill to make it happen.
Community-Centered Governance
Drawing on deep organizing experience to ensure policy development includes those most impacted, not just those with the loudest voices or deepest pockets.
Justice-Driven Policy
Leveraging social work background and advocacy experience to create systems that support human dignity, economic opportunity, and genuine equity for all Oregonians.
Coalition Building
Bringing together diverse stakeholders—from labor unions to environmental groups, from faith communities to grassroots organizers—to forge the broad coalitions needed for transformative change.
Authentic Communication
Using theatrical training and multilingual skills to communicate vision clearly, inspire action boldly, and ensure every Oregonian can see themselves in our shared future.
"We can do this. But I know I can't do this without you."— Rabbi Fora
FAQs
Why run for Governor and not a lower seat?
I did consider other positions before deciding to run for Governor. There are a few flaws with that plan. If I were to take on a federal congressional seat, I would be unable to reliably commute to D.C. based on recent reports from other folks with X on their IDs. This would deeply impact my ability to represent any district effectively.
As for state house, state senate, or county commissioner: I have been housing insecure nearly the entire time I have lived in Oregon. This isn’t new for trans people but it has affected my ability to build deep, local connections. However, my political work has been statewide. After living in so many of our beautiful cities, I am excited to use that network of connections to better the lives of working people across Oregon.
How can I trust your values?
That is the one thing about me I know you can trust. I have always lived my values and paid any price necessary. At the age of 17, I became estranged from my family for being queer. At 20, after multiple rejections from around the state, I was accepted into one of the top 5 schools for the program I was pursuing. At 26, I launched myself into the local politics of Austin by running for city council. My failed run landed me a spot as Human Rights Commissioner. At 31, I decided to medically transition to be true to the person I’ve been all along.
My values have been on display for all to see. I am a passionate community and labor organizer, a fallible spiritual leader, and just a woman trying to get by. I have worked jobs from waitress to kitchen manager to nanny to field director. I show up, I work hard, I ask good questions, and I compromise when possible. If being a candidate for office weren’t so grueling, I would’ve run again before now. We are in a very dangerous moment. Business as usual will not cut it. If we have any hope of meeting these challenges, it must be done by those who understand the urgency of the ones most affected.
Why should people trust someone new with a big job?
They shouldn’t, yet. Over the coming months, this campaign will earn your trust by having the difficult conversations current leaders refuse. No one understands housing like someone who has been homeless. No one understands food insecurity like someone who has gone to bed hungry. And no one understands poverty like someone who has worked at the federal minimum wage, as I did in Texas.
I have learned over the years that trust is a verb. It requires active participation. What I can promise you is that. I will be out in your community, listening and learning from you, to better represent the values of real, working people in Oregon.
What makes you prepared to be a high-level executive?
It’s a big job, I don’t deny that. I’ve taken on big jobs before. As Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Austin, TX, I authored our commission’s recommendation to reduce the Austin Police Department’s budget by accomplishing longtime community goals of separating certain services from their department. Internal Affairs and Forensics should never be up for inside political games. We were 1 of only 7 municipalities who responded to our community’s requests in 2020.
When I moved to Portland in early 2021, I took a job at a homeless shelter where I served as a case manager, then housing navigator. Then, interim daytime manager while a new manager could be found. I was responsible for the health and well-being of nearly 50 participants of the program.
In 2023, after the Israeli government launched an all-out assault on the people of Gaza, I decided to publicly serve as Oregon’s only Anti-Zionist Rabbi. Along with thousands of other organizers across the country, we have drastically changed the narrative around the American-Israeli relationship.
The point is, I’ve never backed down from a fight worth fighting. As a young, queer person in Texas, I dealt with my fair share of bullies. I can tell you the answer is not to be like them, but to be what they can’t. That’s why I lead with kindness, grace, and compassion. And I always will.
How will you use the Office of The Governor differently?
I want to be clear, I’m not running because Governor Kotek has been so awful as to make Oregon beyond repair. Her efforts on housing show dedication to that issue. But, I know we can do more. I know, as someone who has had periods of couch surfing since she was a teenager, that the solution is rent vouchers. Plain and simple.
And while working at Oregon Food Bank likely gave the Governor tremendous insight into how many of us struggle to keep food on the table, I know it has never been her table left empty. Mine has. I have often been confronted with the choice between rent or food, food or medicine, medicine or gas. “Which one should I pay first if ‘X’ money is coming in on ‘X’ day” is a calculation I have made too many times. As have you.
While I appreciate the effort to reduce our gas emissions by raising gas prices, it again misses the mark. The people most likely to drive cars are low-income. The cost of switching to electric is a huge upfront cost, requiring secure charging access and good credit. Transit is great until your 20 minute car commute becomes 45 minutes because of all the stops mixing with traffic. And that’s if the bus is within walking distance to begin with.
These hamfisted attempts to address our needs are exactly what I expect from someone who has no lived experience making these hard economic choices. The only fault in that is shutting people like me out of the conversation, a trend from Democratic leadership many organizers can speak to. I’m running because I know we deserve better.
Why democratic socialism, why not just Democrat?
Democratic Socialism has always spoken to my values. I find it immoral to live in a society where someone can become a trillionaire while even one person is sleeping outside. I believe in markets that are fair, just, and democratic. I believe basic human rights like shelter, food, water, medicine, and clothing are not commodities like cell phones or the newest TV. I believe in the dignity of all people, whether they agree with me or not.
Many of these ideas used to be mainstream for the Democratic Party. Much has changed. The rise in power of the far-right has shifted our conversation so drastically, many of these ideals sound outlandish. But as Harry Truman put it, “If it helps all the people, they call it socialism.” That includes our small business owners, farmers, entrepreneurs, and advanced professionals. When we raise all boats, no one will be left to drown.
The federal government has proved it is, at the moment, an unreliable partner. But that doesn’t mean Oregonians are. We can fulfill our promises to one another. We can nourish, house, heal, and clothe our own. We can retire our elderly with dignity. We can support our disabled neighbors' success.
The Governor is preparing to sign a budget that will cut $900 million of services. This is a choice, friends. Every day, Oregonians wake up to work hard and contribute to our $331 Billion GDP. To believe the funds don’t exist in Oregon to provide for everyone is to believe math is a fairytale. By simply establishing a fair, reasonable tax code, we can more than make up the difference. That’s why my first order of business will be to get our tax code in check with reality.
paid for by friends of fora (PACID #XXXX)