Nick Haskins, Government Relations Associate

Nick brings a passion for collaboration and innovation to Mahonia Public Affairs. His prior experiences in the Oregon Legislature and in political organizing have instilled in him an appreciation for facing tough problems with open communication and teamwork.

Most recently, he served as Legislative Aide for Representative Nancy Nathanson during the 81st Legislative Assembly, where he experienced first-hand how effective communication and coalition-building can generate solutions that work for all stakeholders. In that role, he helped to protect individuals’ privacy during videoconferences, and assisted with other legislative priorities in areas such as housing, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness.

During the 2020 election cycle, Nick worked as a field organizer and volunteer coordinator for Congressman Peter DeFazio’s reelection campaign. There, he helped amplify the campaign’s outreach efforts by training volunteers on voter persuasion and getting out the vote. Following a successful election in November, he traveled alongside the campaign team to Georgia, where he applied the get out the vote strategies he had learned to assist the state’s Senate runoff candidates.

Nick received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon, where he was involved in the UO student association’s voter registration campaigns and advocacy against tuition hikes. In his final year he interned with OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest Research Group) and their New Voters Project, enlisting professors across the country to educate students about becoming involved in the democratic process.

After spending the previous six years living in Eugene, Nick now resides in Portland. In his free time, he can be found at Mt. Hood, Smith Rock State Park, or backpacking in the Cascades.