Sara Anne Acres was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the oldest of four children born to John and Jo Acres. Although her childhood homes included New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana, she lived in Las Vegas for ten years before going to college in Indiana at age 16. There, she earned a BA in history from Earlham College in 1994. She moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1994. In 1999, she earned a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Oregon State University.
Legislative career
Gelser first ran for the House in 2004, and was unsuccessful in her effort to unseat an incumbent legislator. However, when that legislator resigned the following year, Gelser was appointed to the House. She was then reelected to the House for four additional terms. She served as Chair of the HouseEducation Committee in 2009 and 2013, and Co-Chair of the House Education Committee during the 2011 session when the chamber was tied. During her legislative tenure she also served on the following committees: House Select Committee on Education, House Committee on Child Welfare, Human Services and Women's Wellness, Health Care, Rules, Revenue, Human Services and Housing and the Joint Committee on Tax Credits. She served as Assistant Caucus Leader from 2006–2011, and for the 2011 session served as Deputy Democratic Whip. She was co-chair of the Oregon Women's Health and Wellness Alliance, and was a founding member of the Seniors and Disabilities Caucus. Gelser worked on a variety of education, health, human service and finance issues. Her legislative accomplishments include the creation of statewide standards for modified and extended diplomas, the elevation of strangulation to a felony, strengthening the rape statute, improving child abuse investigations through Karly's Law, the creation of a medically involved children's waiver to allow children to grow up in their family homes rather than nursing homes, an overhaul of the state's response to abuse of the elderly and disabled and legislation prohibiting insurance discrimination against children with disabilities and chronic health care conditions. She played a lead role in the elimination of zero tolerance discipline policies in public schools, eliminating restrictions for school employees wearing religious dress in school, and granting greater autonomy to Oregon's higher education system. In 2013, she successfully spearheaded legislation to ban the use of seclusion cells in public schools. Gelser was the only female member of the 2007 "5 Under 35" Caucus. With an influx of new Democrats, the 2009 Legislature included ten Democratic caucus members under the age of 36. In September 2013, Gelser announced her candidacy for the Oregon State Senate. Senate District 8 encompasses Corvallis, Philomath, Albany, Millersburg, Tangent and the surrounding areas. She won the race with nearly three fifths of the vote and has served as the senator from District 8 starting in 2015.
Personal
Gelser, lives in Corvallis with her partner, Michael Blouin. She has four children and one stepchild.
