Maxine Dexter | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Earl Blumenauer |
| Member of theOregon House of Representatives from the33rd district | |
| In office June 14, 2020 – August 30, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mitch Greenlick |
| Succeeded by | Shannon Jones Isadore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maxine Elizabeth Johnson (1972-12-05)December 5, 1972 (age 52) Bothell, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Washington (BA,MD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Dexter before the2020 Oregon House of Representatives election. Recorded April 20, 2020 | |
Maxine Elizabeth Dexter (néeJohnson, born December 5, 1972) is an American physician and politician serving as theU.S. representative forOregon's 3rd congressional district since 2025. The district includes most ofPortland east of theWillamette River.A member of theDemocratic Party, she previously represented the33rd district of theOregon House of Representatives from 2020 to 2024, which covers parts ofNorthwest Portland, as well asCedar Mill,Oak Hills, and most ofBethany.
In May 2024, Dexter won theDemocratic primary for Oregon's 3rd district after facing fellow Portland DemocratSusheela Jayapal. She was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives on November 5, 2024.[1]
Dexter grew up inBothell, Washington, and graduated fromInglemoor High School. She received her bachelor's degree inpolitical science andcommunication from theUniversity of Washington, and herDoctor of Medicine from that university'sSchool of Medicine.[2]
Dexter served her medical residency inAurora, Colorado, and moved to Portland with her husband in 2008. She works as apulmonologist withKaiser Permanente inHillsboro.[3] In 2023, it was reported that she would continue to work part-time at Kaiser Permanente as a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist during her congressional run.[4]
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Dexter ran to succeedMitch Greenlick as representative for the33rd district in theOregon House of Representatives in the2020 election. Dexter said she was inspired to run for office following theBrett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearing, during whichChristine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, which he forcefully denied.[5]
She won the Democratic primary to succeed Greenlick on May 17, 2020, with 40% of the vote, defeating three other candidates, includingChristina Stephenson.[6] Greenlick died on May 15, so Dexter was appointed to finish out his term a month later.[7] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Dexter treated patients with the disease, and wrote a letter urgingOregon GovernorKate Brown to close Oregon schools in April 2020.[8] She was reelected in the2022 election. On July 31, 2024, Dexter announced she would resign from the legislature to focus on her campaign for Congress, effective August 30.[9]
As a representative, Dexter introduced a bill expanding access to the opioid antidote medicationnaloxone, allowing first responders to distribute the drug to members of the general public, and decriminalizingfentanyl test strips.[10] The bill was signed into law on August 8, 2023.[11]
Also in 2023, Dexter served as chair of the House Housing and Homelessness Committee in the legislature. She was credited with helping to pass a $200 million spending bill on housing and homelessness issues.[4]
On December 5, 2023, Dexter announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination forOregon's 3rd congressional district to succeed retiring RepresentativeEarl Blumenauer.[12] Dexter stated in an interview that she planned to run forCongress since she was 20.[4]
In the primary, she faced opposition from formerMultnomah CountyCommissionerSusheela Jayapal andGresham City Councilor Eddy Morales. She was the top recipient of independent expenditure spending in the primary, with314 Action spending about $2.2 million in total on independent expenditures in support of her campaign.[13][14] She received endorsements from politicians includingDan Rayfield, who served as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2022 to 2024.[15] She was also endorsed byThe Oregonian and theWillamette Week.[16] While not being officially endorsed byAIPAC, their super PAC put more than $2 million to help her campaign.[17] Dexter ultimately won the Democratic primary, long the real contest in Oregon's most Democratic district.[18]
On November 5, 2024, Dexter defeated Republican nominee Joanna Harbour in thegeneral election.[1]
Dexter took office on January 3, 2025, alongside other members of the119th United States Congress. She has indicated that passing legislation to expand access to healthcare and improveair quality are leading priorities for her in Congress.[19]
In April 2025, Dexter traveled toEl Salvador to try to helpKilmar Abrego Garcia, who had been deported by President Trump in a manner whose legality had been questioned by Dexter and many other public officials.[20]
For the 119th Congress:[21]
Dexter supports the transition to asingle-payer health care system. She also supports greater protections for employees, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increased money forpublic housing, and strictergun control.[5] Dexter opposes efforts to condition U.S. aid toIsrael amid the ongoingGaza war but supports a negotiated cease-fire and delivery of humanitarian aid.[16] She was one of 21 Democrats who have sponsored a resolution led by RepresentativeRashida Tlaib condemning Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide and calling for sanctions against Israel.[23]
Dexter lives inNorth Portland.[24]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maxine E Dexter | 33,707 | 75.6 | |
| Republican | Dick Courter | 10,796 | 24.2 | |
| Write-in | 59 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 44,562 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maxine E Dexter | 26,154 | 84.8 | |
| Republican | Stan Baumhofer | 4,651 | 15.1 | |
| Write-in | 30 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 30,835 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maxine Dexter | 47,254 | 47.3 | |
| Democratic | Susheela Jayapal | 32,793 | 32.8 | |
| Democratic | Eddy Morales | 13,391 | 13.4 | |
| Democratic | Michael Jonas | 2,359 | 2.4 | |
| Democratic | Nolan Bylenga | 2,138 | 2.1 | |
| Democratic | Rachel Lydia Rand | 856 | 0.9 | |
| Democratic | Ricardo Barajas | 649 | 0.7 | |
| Write-in | 430 | 0.4 | ||
| Total votes | 99,870 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maxine E Dexter | 226,405 | 67.7 | |
| Republican | Joanna Harbour | 84,344 | 25.2 | |
| Independent | David W Walker | 10,245 | 3.1 | |
| Pacific Green | Joe Meyer | 10,106 | 3.0 | |
| Constitution | David K Frosch | 2,459 | 0.7 | |
| Write-in | 810 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 334,369 | 100% | ||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's 3rd congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 381st | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1849–1859) |
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