At the December 7, 2023 meeting of the Oregon AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) Board, leaders and representatives from unions in every community and sector of Oregon’s economy voted to endorse Oregon Speaker of the House Dan Rayfield to be Oregon’s next Attorney General.
With years of experience as a State Representative and now as the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, Dan Rayfield has been a fierce advocate for working people in his own district and across the state.
In 2017 the Oregon AFL-CIO awarded Speaker Rayfield Legislator of theYear for his trailblazing work in sponsoring legislation to provide unemployment insurance benefits to workers locked out by their employer, a direct support to Steelworkers in his district who walked picket lines outside of their workplaces for seven months.
Most recently, Speaker Rayfield stood shoulder-to-shoulder with striking members of IUOE Local 701 employed at Valley Landfill in Corvallis who walked off the job demanding fair pay and safe working conditions.
In the 2023 legislative session, Speaker Rayfield earned a Platinum ranking on the Oregon AFL-CIO’s Legislative Scorecard for his voting record as well as his continued efforts to advance the legislative priorities of Oregon’s unions and worker advocates.
“The Oregon AFL-CIO supports Speaker Rayfield’s campaign to be our next Attorney General because of his consistent record of strong advocacy for Oregon’s workers,” said Graham Trainor, Oregon AFL-CIO President. “He’s stood with us as a State Representative and as Speaker of the House, he’s walked picket lines with us, and he listens to the voices of working people to inform his priorities as an elected official. We can trust that Speaker Rayfield will carry his commitment and effectiveness as a lawmaker to the office of the Attorney General where he will continue to defend the rights of working people.”
The Oregon AFL-CIO’s COPE Board will make additional endorsements throughout 2024, including Congressional candidates, ballot initiatives, statewide elected officials, and state legislative candidates. The Oregon AFL-CIO operates the largest independent voter outreach program in Oregon and is prepared to educate and mobilize Oregon’s workers to support the federation’s endorsements in the 2024 Primary and General elections.