Sean Davis for Astoria
Sean believes leadership is not about visibility but reliability. His values are rooted in fairness, accountability, and respect for human dignity—principles shaped by military service, human rights work, and years of listening to people tell the truth about their lives. He does his best to lead by example.
His work with veterans, community leaders, and creatives has reinforced a core belief: communities are strongest when people feel seen, heard, and supported—especially those who are struggling. Public safety, mental health, housing, and economic opportunity are not separate issues; they are interconnected, and ignoring one weakens them all.
Experience. Values. Vision.
Sean brings a rare blend of lived experience, creative leadership, and community service to public life. He is a combat veteran who served in Iraq and was awarded the Purple Heart, an experience that shaped his lifelong commitment to accountability, service, and care for those who bear the cost of public decisions.
Beyond military service, Sean has spent years working at the community level—organizing, producing public radio, collaborating with artists, veterans, and civic groups, and helping build programs focused on resilience, preparedness, and mutual aid. He was awarded the Emily Gottfried Emerging Leader Human Rights Award in recognition of his work advocating for dignity, access, and equity at the local level.
Sean also holds a Master’s degree in Writing from Pacific University, training that sharpened his ability to listen closely, communicate clearly, and translate complex issues into language people can actually understand—an underrated but critical skill in public office.
About Sean Davis
Sean Davis was raised in a small rural town in Central Oregon called McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. He joined the US Army as an infantryman in 1993. During his first six years he was deployed to Haiti, stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Fort Drum, New York; and Bad Aibling Germany after reclassing as a military police officer. He left the service in January of 1999, but reenlisted the day after September 11th, 2001. He was deployed to Iraq with B co. 2/162 infantry battalion of the Oregon National Guard. During this deployment Sean was critically injured in a violent ambush in Taji, Iraq and awarded the Purple Heart.
After returning to Oregon, Sean struggled with PTSD and other injuries from the war, but chose to put his life together by using his VA benefits. Within five years of starting, Sean successfully received his Associates from Mt. Hood Community College, Bachelors in English from Portland State University, and a Masters degree in Writing from Pacific University.
Sean worked at different colleges around the Pacific Northwest and the University of Massachusetts Boston. He also served on several boards, he was voted as the post commander of Post 134 American Legion, and set up food closets, clothing drives, and helped homeless veterans. And every summer, Sean would go out and fight wildland fires all over the Pacific Northwest.
For his work Sean was awarded the Emily Gottfried Emerging Leader award by the city of Portland, he was knighted by the Royal Rosarians, and he was the American Legionaire for 2016.
In 2017, Sean moved to the town he grew up, McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, at the foot of the Sisters Mountains in the Cascades. There he served on multiple boards including the school board, budget committee for the school district, the Track board, and many more. He worked as a community organizer and wrote grants for a new roof for the rural clinic, a new city septic system, to maintain the local rural library, and much more. But in 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire struck the community.
Sean helped lead the effort to rebuild the community. Two days after the fire, Sean was wearing his greens and yellows and cut fallen trees to allow for traffic, fed and cared for livestock left behind, and helped organize the temporary medical clinic his wife Kelly worked at, helped coordinate with FEMA, Congressman DiFazio, and other government agencies.
Sean and his family moved to Astoria in 2022 where he co-founded the non profit Rogue Cell with a mission to reduce veteran suicide and build community. He hosts Rogue Cell Radio on KMUN and volunteers in the community.
Sean Davis for Astoria 