Earl Blumenauer (born August 16, 1948) is a Democratic U.S. representative from Oregon, representing that state's third congressional district (map) in Portland. Born in Portland, he graduated from Centennial High School in 1966 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1970. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the same college in 1976.
Blumenauer worked as an assistant to the president of Portland State University. He then served as an Oregon state representative from 1973 to 1978, Portland city commissioner (1986-96), and was appointed by Oregon's governor to the commission on higher education (1990-91). In 1992, Blumenauer was defeated by Vera Katz in an open race for mayor of Portland.
Blumenauer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the election of then-U.S. Representative Ron Wyden to the U.S. Senate.
Blumenauer represented Oregon as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2000.
In its endorsement of Blumenauer for the 2002 election, the Willamette Week summarized his fit with the congressional district he represents:
Let's be blunt. Earl Blumenauer is going to win. He deserves to win. Ideologically and temperamentally, Blumenauer is an almost perfect reflection of his Portland seat, as safe a Democratic stronghold as any in the nation. He's championed light rail and the streetcar. He's the biggest bike advocate on Capitol Hill. He voted against the U.S.A. Patriot Act and the Iraq resolution. A super-sharp super-wonk, he's diligently seeking to export Portland's livability doctrine to Third World nations.
