Dan Rayfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 18thAttorney General of Oregon | |
| Assumed office December 31, 2024 | |
| Governor | Tina Kotek |
| Preceded by | Ellen Rosenblum |
| 68thSpeaker of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
| In office February 1, 2022 – March 7, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Tina Kotek |
| Succeeded by | Julie Fahey |
| Member of theOregon House of Representatives from the16th district | |
| In office January 12, 2015 – December 31, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Sara Gelser Blouin |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Finger McDonald |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-03-01)March 1, 1979 (age 46) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Amanda |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Western Oregon University (BA) Willamette University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Daniel Adam Rayfield (born March 1, 1979) is an American politician and attorney who has been the 18thattorney general of the state of Oregon since 2024, after his predecessorEllen Rosenblum resigned a week before her term expired.[1] He wasspeaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2022 to 2024. In the House, he represented the16th district, which includedCorvallis and Adair Village.[2]
In November 2024, he was electedAttorney General of Oregon after defeating Republican Will Lathrop in thegeneral election.[3]
Rayfield was born inOrange County, California. His mother was an activist and small-business owner who reveled in dragging her son throughout his youth to events promoting progressive causes. His father, a retired colonel in theAir Force Reserve Command and commercial insurance executive, had more-conservative views.[4][self-published source]
After moving to Oregon, Rayfield attendedTigard High School. He later graduated fromWestern Oregon University in 2003 and earned hisJuris Doctor fromWillamette University College of Law.[5]
While in law school, Rayfield worked as a clerk in the Benton County District Attorney's Office, gaining trial experience prosecutingmisdemeanors andDUIs.[5]
After law school, Rayfield began his legal career working for the Weatherford Thompson law firm inAlbany, Oregon. His practice initially focused on general civil litigation.[5] In 2007, Rayfield served as plaintiff's attorney in a high-profile case involving a police officer who wrongfully arrested several individuals under false DUII accusations.[6][7]
Following a successful resolution to the case, Rayfield worked to help pass HB 2318 during the 2009 legislative session of theOregon Legislative Assembly. HB 2318 allowed people who were falsely accused of driving under the influence to remove the false charge from their record.[8] The bill passed unanimously in the Oregon House and Senate and was signed into law by the governor on June 18, 2009.[9]
In May 2009, Rayfield joined the law firm of Nelson & MacNeil. His practice focused on representing individuals with claims against corporations and insurance companies. In 2014, Rayfield became a partner with the law firm, changing the firm’s name to Nelson MacNeil Rayfield Trial Attorneys PC.[5]
Rayfield was sworn in as a state representative from House District 16 on January 12, 2015.[10]
During the 2015 legislative session, Rayfield served on the House Committee on Rules, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, as co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources, and as vice chairman of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness. During the session Rayfield acted as a key facilitator, successfully negotiating a bipartisan solution to shore-up a $30 million shortfall with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife budget.
Following the 2015 legislative session, Rayfield was elected by his colleagues to serve as House majority whip.[11] During the interim in 2015 Rayfield was also appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety.[12]
In the 2016 legislative session, Rayfield sponsored several key bills that were eventually signed into law. In particular, he successfully shepherded legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits for up to an additional six months to locked-out workers, which immediately impacted 180 Steelworkers locked-out of theAllegheny Technologies plant in Albany, Oregon.[13]
Rayfield was named a "Rising Star" by theOregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) in its 2015 Environmental Scorecard. He was recognized by OLCV for his work as co-chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources, and specifically his efforts to forge compromise to address a $30 million budget shortfall for theOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.[14]
In 2015, Rayfield was also chosen by theCouncil of State Governments West (CSG West), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving state legislators of both parties in 13 Western states, as a participant in its training institute for lawmakers in their first four years of service.[15]
On February 1, 2022, Rayfield was sworn in as the Speaker of Oregon House of Representatives.[16] He stepped down as Speaker of the House following the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session to run for Attorney General.[17]
On October 11, 2023, Rayfield announced his campaign forOregon Attorney General in the2024 election.[18][19] He won the Democratic primary in the May 2024 primary election.[20] On November 5, 2024, Rayfield defeated Republican Will Lathrup in the general election.[3]
In the community, Rayfield has served in numerous roles, including commissioner on the Linn-Benton Housing Authority, member of the New Roots Housing Board, past president of the Linn-Benton Bar Association, past chair of the Linn and Benton Judicial Screening Committee, past president of the Majestic Theater Management Board, former Linn County Peer Court judge, and coach of the Oregon State University Mock Trial team.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Morse | 26,466 | 55.0 | |
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 21,563 | 44.8 | |
| Write-in | 123 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 48,152 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 16,797 | 72.1 | |
| Republican | Jacob D Vandever | 6,379 | 27.4 | |
| Write-in | 113 | 0.5 | ||
| Total votes | 23,289 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 17,921 | 58.1 | |
| Republican | Judson McClure | 6,474 | 21.0 | |
| Progressive | Sami Al-AbdRabbuh | 4,934 | 16.0 | |
| Libertarian | Andrew Freborg | 1,484 | 4.8 | |
| Write-in | 58 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 30,871 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 23,158 | 97.4 | |
| Write-in | 609 | 2.6 | ||
| Total votes | 23,767 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 25,742 | 75.9 | |
| Republican | Jason Hughes | 8,099 | 23.9 | |
| Write-in | 91 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 33,932 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 22,483 | 75.2 | |
| Republican | Keith Lembke | 7,362 | 24.6 | |
| Write-in | 65 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 29,910 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Rayfield | 1,156,489 | 54.4 | |
| Republican | Will Lathrop | 967,964 | 45.5 | |
| Write-in | 2,612 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 2,127,065 | 100% | ||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives 2022–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Oregon 2024–present | Incumbent |
Statewide political officials ofOregon | ||
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