Rep. Chip Shields Wants Sen. Margaret Carter's Seat in Salem

We've noted before the remarkable ambition of state Rep. Chip Shields (D-North/Northeast Portland).

So it came as little surprise when Shields this morning rushed to claim the seat of departing state Sen. Margaret Carter (D-North/Northeast Portland) before her seat even got cold.

Carter, the first African-American woman elected to the Oregon Legislature, announced over the weekend she's leaving the Leg after nearly 25 years to take a job as deputy director of the state Department of Human Services.

This morning, Shields put out a news release (PDF) saying he will "vigorously pursue" an appointment to Carter's seat. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will make that appointment based on recommendations from the local Democratic Party.

State Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Northeast Portland), the other state House member from Carter's Senate district, has not yet returned a phone call seeking comment on whether she also wants the seat says she is not interested in Carter's seat.