July 6, 2012
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
- District: Junior Senator from Oregon
- Residence: Portland
- Born: October 24, 1956; Eugene, Ore.
- Religion: Lutheran
- Family: Wife, Mary Sorteberg; two children
- Education: Stanford U., B.A. 1979 (international relations); Princeton U., M.P.A. 1982
- Military Service: None
- Political Highlights: Ore. House, 1999-2009 (minority leader, 2003-07; Speaker, 2007-09); U.S. Senate, 2009-present
- Elected: Elected: 2008 (1st term); Defeated Sen. Gordon H. Smith, R
- Committee Assignments: Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs (Financial Institutions & Consumer Protection; Housing, Transportation & Community Development; Securities, Insurance & Investment); Budget; Environment & Public Works (Clean Air & Nuclear Safety; Green Jobs & the New Economy; Superfund, Toxics & Environmental Health); Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (Children & Families; Primary Health & Aging)
See Jeff Merkley's full CQ Member Profile, including in-depth political biographies of all members of Congress with CQ's analysis of what makes each member tick. CQ Member Profiles also provides:
- Staff contacts
- Voting records
- Interest group ratings
- Detailed district information
- Vote studies on each member's record
State Information: Oregon
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Jeff Merkley (D) | 864,392 | 48.9% |
| Gordon Smith (R) | 805,159 | 45.6% | ||
| David Brownlow (CNSTP) | 92,565 | 5.2% | ||
| 2002 | general | Gordon Smith (R) | 712,287 | 56.2% |
| Bill Bradbury (D) | 501,898 | 39.6% | ||
| Dan Fitzgerald (LIBERT) | 29,979 | 2.4% | ||
| Lon Mabon (CNSTP) | 21,703 | 1.7% | ||
| 1996 | general | Gordon H. Smith (R) | 677,336 | 49.8% |
| Tom Bruggere (D) | 624,370 | 45.9% | ||
| Brent Thompson (REF) | 20,381 | 1.5% | ||
| Gary Kutcher (PACIFIC) | 14,193 | 1% | ||
| Paul "Stormy" Mohn (LIBERT) | 12,697 | 0.9% | ||
| Christopher Phelps (S) | 5,426 | 0.4% | ||
| Michael L. Hoyes (NL) | 4,425 | 0.3% |
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Barack Obama: 56.74% | John McCain: 40.4% | |
| 2004 | John Kerry: 51% | George W. Bush: 47% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 47% | George W. Bush: 47% | |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton: 47% | Robert Dole: 37% | |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton: 42% | George H. W. Bush: 33% | |
| 1988 | Michael Dukakis: 51% | George H. W. Bush: 47% | |
| 1984 | Walter F. Mondale: 44% | : |
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