Dan Rayfield
Daniel Adam Rayfield (born March 1, 1979) is an American attorney and Democratic politician serving as the 18th Attorney General of Oregon since December 31, 2024.[1][2] He previously represented District 16 in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2015 to 2024, including as Speaker from February 2022 to March 2024.[3][4] Before entering politics, Rayfield practiced law for 18 years in Corvallis, specializing in consumer protection, civil rights, and personal injury litigation after earning his Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law and admission to the Oregon State Bar in 2006.[5] As Attorney General, he has prioritized community safety, consumer protection, and defending state interests in litigation.[2]Early life and education
Family background and upbringing
Dan Rayfield was born on March 1, 1979.[6] He grew up in Oregon as a product of its public school system.[7] His family environment featured contrasting political influences from his parents: his mother, a Green Party member, activist, and small business owner, often brought him along to progressive events and protests during his childhood, despite his reluctance.[7][8] His father identified as a Republican, and Rayfield has attributed the development of his leadership philosophy to these differing parental worldviews.[8][9] Rayfield attended Tigard High School, from which he graduated.[1][8] Limited public details exist regarding other aspects of his early family life or siblings.Academic and professional training
Rayfield earned a bachelor's degree from Western Oregon University, attending from 1999 to 2003.[10] He subsequently enrolled at Willamette University College of Law, completing his Juris Doctor in 2006.[11][10] Following graduation, Rayfield was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 2006.[2][8] This qualification enabled his entry into private legal practice, where he initially focused on general civil litigation and consumer protection matters.[7][2]Pre-political career
Legal practice and professional experience
Rayfield was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 2006.[5] He practiced law in private practice for 18 years prior to assuming the role of Attorney General, focusing on consumer protection matters.[5] His work included general civil litigation and representation of clients pursuing claims against insurance companies.[7] From 2009 onward, Rayfield was associated with Nelson MacNeil Rayfield Trial Attorneys, PC, a Corvallis-based firm established in 1984 that specializes in personal injury cases.[12] [13] He served as a trial attorney there, handling litigation in these areas until entering full-time legislative service.[14]Legislative career
Entry into politics and House service
Rayfield, a civil attorney from Corvallis, first sought elected office in the 2014 Oregon House of Representatives election for District 16, encompassing Benton County areas including Corvallis. Running as a Democrat, he secured the party's nomination in the May primary and prevailed in the November general election, defeating Republican challenger Larry Sipe.[15] District 16, a reliably Democratic seat held by retiring Rep. Nancy Edwards since 2007, saw Rayfield capture approximately 58% of the vote amid a Democratic wave year in Oregon.[16] He was sworn into office on January 12, 2015, beginning a decade-long tenure representing the district centered on Oregon State University and surrounding communities.[10] Rayfield won re-election in 2016 against Republican Scott Gulbransen, in 2018 unopposed after the Republican withdrew, in 2020 against Republican David M. Still, and in 2022 against Republican Brian Stout.[17][1] Throughout his House service, Rayfield emphasized budget and revenue matters, securing appointment to the Revenue Committee in his early terms before ascending to co-chair the powerful Joint Ways and Means Committee from 2019 to 2023, where he oversaw state appropriations exceeding $100 billion biennially.[2] His legislative work prioritized funding for education, housing affordability, and public health initiatives, reflecting the district's progressive leanings and his background in consumer protection litigation. Rayfield maintained a low public profile initially, focusing on committee diligence rather than high-visibility bills, consistent with his role in a Democrat-majority caucus holding supermajorities post-2018.[18]Rise to House Speaker
Rayfield entered the Oregon House of Representatives in 2015 after winning election in November 2014 to represent District 16, encompassing Corvallis and surrounding areas in Benton County.[18] He progressed through committee assignments, culminating in his appointment as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the legislature's primary budget-writing body, where he served for four years and gained influence over state fiscal priorities.[8][19] In late 2021, following Speaker Tina Kotek's resignation to campaign for governor, the House Democratic caucus unanimously selected Rayfield as their nominee for speaker on January 17, 2022, citing his legislative experience and bipartisan working style.[20] The full House elected him speaker on February 1, 2022, by a vote along party lines, ending a nearly decade-long tenure by Kotek and positioning Rayfield to lead during a short session amid challenges like pandemic recovery and budget negotiations.[3] Rayfield secured re-election as speaker on January 9, 2023, continuing his leadership through the 2023 long session focused on housing, public safety, and economic measures.[21]Key legislative initiatives and votes
Rayfield served as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from February 2022 to March 2024, during which he presided over the passage of major bipartisan legislation addressing the state's addiction crisis, including House Bill 4002 in the 2024 session. This measure recriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, establishing misdemeanor penalties and allocating $200 million for treatment and recovery services, effectively modifying the decriminalization framework of Measure 110 approved by voters in 2020.[22][23] The House approved the bill on February 29, 2024, by a vote of 51-7, with Rayfield voting in favor as a Democrat.[22] Under Rayfield's speakership, the 2023 regular session concluded with historic investments in behavioral health and housing after a prolonged Republican walkout, including Senate Bill 510, which expanded mental health and addiction treatment infrastructure with $1 billion in funding.[24][25] The House passed the bill on June 23, 2023, following Senate approval. Rayfield also supported House Bill 2004, which referred a constitutional amendment to voters authorizing ranked-choice voting for state and local elections, passing the House on June 25, 2023, by a 34-17 vote with his affirmative support.[26] Prior to his speakership, Rayfield chief-sponsored multiple bills advancing campaign finance reforms, including measures requiring greater disclosure of contributions and limiting dark money influences, which progressed through committees during the 2019 session. He also chief-sponsored legislation enhancing transparency on legislative conflicts of interest, mandating disclosure of potential financial benefits from votes, which the House passed to close loopholes in existing ethics laws. In the 2022 short session, his leadership facilitated House Bill 4157, delivering one-time $600 cost-of-living payments to low-income Oregon households amid inflation pressures, enacted on December 21, 2022.2024 Attorney General election
Campaign platform and primary
In the Democratic primary for Oregon Attorney General on May 21, 2024, Dan Rayfield secured the nomination by defeating Shaina Maxey Pomerantz, a former civil rights investigator with the Bureau of Labor and Industries.[27][28] Rayfield received 318,313 votes, or 75.2% of the total, while Pomerantz garnered 102,146 votes, or 24.1%, with the remainder from write-ins. Early returns showed Rayfield leading throughout the vote count, reflecting his strong support within the party amid an open seat following incumbent Ellen Rosenblum's decision not to seek re-election.[29] Rayfield's campaign platform emphasized leveraging the Attorney General's office to enhance public safety, particularly by combating the fentanyl crisis and supporting law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime.[30] He pledged to address substance abuse and homelessness through targeted prosecutions and partnerships, drawing on his 18 years of private legal practice focused on consumer protection and civil rights.[31] Additional priorities included protecting consumers from corporate exploitation, advocating for working families via enforcement of labor laws, and defending state sovereignty against perceived federal overreach.[30] These positions aligned with Rayfield's legislative record as House Speaker, where he championed initiatives on housing affordability and public health, positioning him as a pragmatic Democrat committed to accountability over partisan litigation.[32]General election and victory
The general election for Oregon Attorney General took place on November 5, 2024, as part of the statewide ballot, featuring Democratic state representative Dan Rayfield against Republican Will Lathrop, a civil litigator and former prosecutor.[33] The race contested an open seat vacated by incumbent Democrat Ellen Rosenblum, who opted not to seek a third term. Both candidates had advanced through their respective party primaries earlier in the year, with Rayfield emphasizing his legislative experience in consumer protection and public safety, while Lathrop focused on criticisms of state-level crime policies and commitments to impartial enforcement of laws.[34] Rayfield prevailed with 1,156,489 votes, or 54.37 percent of the total, to Lathrop's 967,964 votes, or 45.51 percent, yielding a margin of approximately 188,525 votes, or 8.86 percentage points.[35] The Associated Press projected Rayfield's win on election night, reflecting strong performance in urban and coastal counties, consistent with Oregon's partisan leanings where Democrats have held the office since 2001.[36] Voter turnout for the election exceeded 2.1 million ballots statewide, amid a broader national contest.[37] Rayfield declared victory shortly after polls closed on November 5, 2024, addressing supporters in Corvallis.[38] Lathrop conceded the following day, November 6, expressing intent to support the incoming attorney general in upholding the rule of law.[39] The results were certified by the Oregon Secretary of State on December 18, 2024, formalizing Rayfield's election as the state's next attorney general.[36]Attorney General tenure
Assumption of office and initial priorities
Dan Rayfield was sworn in as Oregon's 18th Attorney General on December 31, 2024, in a ceremony in Portland, succeeding Ellen Rosenblum, who retired earlier than the standard January inauguration to facilitate a smooth transition.[40][41] This early assumption of office allowed Rayfield to begin implementing priorities amid anticipated federal policy shifts following the 2024 presidential election.[19] Rayfield's initial priorities centered on enhancing public safety, consumer protection, and defending Oregon's interests against perceived federal overreach, as articulated on the Oregon Department of Justice website and in early statements.[2] He emphasized tackling substance abuse, homelessness, and support for working families, building on his campaign platform.[30] On January 14, 2025, Rayfield appointed Steven Berman, a veteran litigator, as special counsel to advance these administration priorities, particularly in litigation strategy.[42] In his first month, Rayfield prioritized legal defenses against federal actions under the incoming Trump administration, joining multi-state efforts to protect health care access for young immigrants via intervention in a lawsuit against policy changes (January 15), defend Biden-era federal gun safety measures from repeal attempts (January 16), and secure an initial court victory blocking a federal funding freeze impacting state programs (January 31).[43][44][45] These actions reflected a proactive stance on federal oversight, preempted by Rayfield's creation of a federal oversight cabinet as AG-elect in December 2024.[46] By April 2025, he launched statewide "Safeguarding Oregon" forums to engage communities on these issues, citing established priorities in community safety and rule-of-law defense after three months in office.[47]Major legal actions and settlements
As Oregon Attorney General, Dan Rayfield has pursued several high-profile settlements recovering funds for the state, primarily in consumer protection and pharmaceutical accountability cases. On July 10, 2025, Rayfield announced Oregon's participation in a $720 million national settlement with eight opioid drug manufacturers, yielding an additional $10.1 million for the state beyond prior agreements totaling approximately $700 million from opioid-related resolutions.[48] Six days later, on July 16, 2025, he helped secure a $202 million multistate settlement with Gilead Sciences over alleged kickbacks to pharmacies for promoting high-priced HIV medications, with Oregon's share contributing to Medicaid reimbursements.[49] These actions build on prior administrations' efforts but emphasize direct consumer restitution under Rayfield's tenure. In consumer enforcement, Rayfield obtained a $1 million settlement on October 23, 2025, against an online retailer for deceptive practices, including unauthorized charges to Oregon customers, with funds returned directly to affected individuals.[50] Rayfield's office has initiated or joined numerous federal lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies, filing at least 35 such actions by July 2025, often in coalition with other Democratic-led states.[51] Key cases include a September 30, 2025, suit and temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland without gubernatorial consent, alleging violations of state sovereignty and the Posse Comitatus Act.[52] On October 3, 2025, a multistate lawsuit yielded a preliminary victory preserving Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants by invalidating federal immigration enforcement conditions, safeguarding about $15 million in Oregon funding for 146 victim service providers and contributing to national protection of nearly $1.4 billion.[53] Additional wins encompass a September 19, 2025, court order halting demands for SNAP recipients' data for immigration enforcement, joined by 21 states, and an August 29, 2025, ruling advancing challenges to unlawful tariffs imposed on allies.[54][55] Ongoing litigation includes consumer suits like against Coinbase for alleged securities violations, amid scrutiny over external counsel selection tied to campaign donors.[56] These efforts reflect a focus on defending state programs against federal overreach, though critics argue they prioritize partisan opposition over bipartisan priorities.[57]Political positions
Views on public safety and criminal justice
During his tenure as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, Dan Rayfield supported House Bill 4002, enacted in March 2024, which recriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail, while incorporating options for deflection to treatment programs to avoid prosecution.[22][58] This legislation partially reversed the effects of Ballot Measure 110, Oregon's 2020 voter-approved decriminalization of drug possession, amid a sharp rise in overdose deaths from 626 in 2019 to 1,833 in 2023, largely driven by fentanyl.[59][60] Rayfield helped broker the bipartisan compromise, emphasizing treatment-first approaches alongside enforcement, though critics including the ACLU argued the penalties undermined harm reduction efforts.[61][62] As a candidate for Attorney General in 2024, Rayfield pledged to enhance public safety by collaborating with local law enforcement and criminal justice reform advocates, framing this partnership as essential for addressing substance abuse, homelessness, and community violence without favoring one side exclusively.[30][31] In this role, he has prioritized strengthening community safety through targeted interventions, including scrutiny of declining bias crime reports—which dropped in 2024 potentially indicating underreporting rather than reduced incidents—and advocacy for accountability in drug policy, stating that Measure 110 failed to address root causes of addiction like untreated mental health issues.[63][64] Rayfield's positions reflect a pragmatic adjustment to Oregon's post-Measure 110 challenges, where decriminalization correlated with increased public drug use and overdose fatalities, prompting a return to limited criminal penalties integrated with expanded behavioral health services funded by cannabis taxes.[22][65] This approach contrasts with pure decriminalization models but maintains elements of reform, such as deflection programs, amid empirical evidence of policy shortcomings in reducing harm.[61]Stances on economic and consumer issues
Rayfield has opposed tariffs, characterizing them as a regressive tax on working families and businesses that disrupts supply chains and raises costs for Oregon's export-heavy economy, where 70-80% of certain goods face impacts. In April 2025, he initiated a multi-state lawsuit as Attorney General to invalidate four Trump administration tariffs, contending they exceed presidential authority and lack rational economic justification.[66][67][68] In the Oregon legislature, Rayfield backed measures to mitigate housing shortages by streamlining approvals and boosting funding for affordable units. Legislation like House Bill 2984, enacted in 2023, barred local governments from mandating zone changes or conditional use permits for qualifying affordable housing, aiming to expedite construction amid Oregon's crisis. The House also approved a $200 million package that year for shelters, eviction reforms, and land-use adjustments to spur development.[69][70] As Attorney General, Rayfield prioritized consumer safeguards, launching an Economic Justice Section with a dedicated Working Families Unit on September 30, 2025, to counter scams, predatory lending, identity theft, and fraudulent practices—doubling investigative capacity for complaints from families, seniors, and low-income households. His office secured a multistate settlement in October 2025 against an online retailer's parent company for deceptive practices, yielding consumer relief. Rayfield has committed to targeting abusive insurance tactics and credit fraud proactively.[71][72][50][73]Positions on federal relations and civil liberties
Rayfield established the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet in December 2024 to monitor and counter potential federal encroachments on state authority, particularly under the incoming Trump administration, by assembling advisors from labor unions, advocacy organizations, and the ACLU of Oregon.[74][75] The cabinet's mandate includes assessing policy threats to Oregon's interests in areas such as public health, environmental protections, and reproductive rights, positioning Rayfield's office as a proactive defender of state sovereignty against federal directives.[76][77] In practice, Rayfield has pursued aggressive litigation against federal policies, initiating or joining 37 lawsuits by September 2025 challenging Trump administration actions, including blocks on National Guard deployments to Portland deemed unlawful state interferences and contests over immigration-related conditions attached to Victims of Crime Act grants.[57][52][53] He has also sued to invalidate funding restrictions on K-12 schools tied to Title VI compliance demands, arguing such measures weaponize anti-discrimination laws for unrelated policy leverage.[78] These efforts underscore a federal relations stance favoring state-level discretion and judicial checks on executive overreach, often aligning with Democratic-led multistate coalitions.[79] On civil liberties, Rayfield has advocated for protections against perceived federal political reprisals, joining 20 attorneys general in a March 2025 amicus brief supporting a law firm targeted for its client representations, framing the case as essential to safeguarding legal independence and free association.[80] His tenure reflects continuity with prior civil rights litigation experience, emphasizing defenses of individual and institutional freedoms in federal-state conflicts, though specific positions on issues like Second Amendment rights or surveillance remain less documented in public actions.[81]Controversies and criticisms
Partisan lawsuits and policy disputes
During his tenure as Oregon Attorney General, Dan Rayfield has initiated or joined numerous lawsuits challenging policies of the Trump administration, often in coalition with other Democratic-led state attorneys general, focusing on issues such as immigration enforcement, federal funding allocations, and executive orders perceived as infringing on state autonomy. By September 2025, Rayfield's office reported filing 37 such federal lawsuits, including actions to block National Guard deployments in Portland on September 30, 2025, which the state argued violated Oregon's sovereignty, and to halt restrictions on federal grants tied to immigration status that conflicted with Oregon's sanctuary laws.[52][57][82] These efforts extended to protecting progressive priorities, such as a February 7, 2025, multi-state lawsuit to enjoin a presidential order terminating federal funding for institutions involved in gender-affirming care research, and joining 19 other attorneys general in April 2025 to sue over the dismantling of agencies supporting libraries, museums, and minority-owned businesses. Rayfield also participated in a July 2025 lawsuit to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood amid federal defunding attempts, and led a successful May 2025 challenge with Arizona's AG to tariffs imposed by President Trump, which Oregon argued caused economic harm without statutory basis. Critics, including Republican state officials, have characterized these suits as partisan resistance to federal authority, prioritizing ideological alignment over neutral enforcement, particularly given the uniformity of Democratic AG involvement in opposing Republican policies.[83][84][85] On the state level, Rayfield sought dismissal of a October 2025 federal lawsuit by Marion County, a jurisdiction with a Republican sheriff, challenging Oregon's sanctuary policies for allegedly obstructing local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities; the county claimed the laws created ambiguity and liability risks, but Rayfield's motion argued the suit lacked merit and intruded on state prerogatives. This dispute highlights tensions between urban Democratic state policies and rural or conservative local governments, with Marion County's action reflecting broader pushback against sanctuary mandates that limit information-sharing with ICE. Additionally, Rayfield joined a October 2025 coalition suit against a Trump memorandum directing DOJ investigations into nonprofits' free speech activities, framing it as an overreach threatening civil liberties, though opponents viewed it as defending left-leaning organizations from accountability.[86][87][88] Other actions included a March 2025 suit with 19 attorneys general over mass firings of probationary federal workers, deemed "reckless and illegal" by plaintiffs for bypassing civil service protections, and a May 2025 court victory preserving federal support for cultural institutions against administrative cuts. These cases, while legally grounded in statutory interpretations, have drawn accusations of selective partisanship, as Rayfield's office has not pursued equivalent challenges to prior administrations' policies, aligning instead with Democratic opposition narratives amid a divided federal landscape.[89][90]Associations with progressive legislation outcomes
During his tenure in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023, including as House Speaker from 2022 to 2024, Dan Rayfield served as chief sponsor or leader in advancing several bills aligned with progressive priorities that achieved legislative passage. In the 2019 session, Rayfield sponsored a package of three campaign finance reform measures—House Bills 2165, 2166, and 2167—which expanded disclosure requirements for political contributions, restricted certain coordination between candidates and independent groups, and increased transparency in legislator conflicts of interest. These bills passed the House and were signed into law, aiming to address perceived undue influence in elections, though critics argued they did not impose hard contribution limits and left loopholes for large donors. Rayfield also associated with environmental divestment policies, voting in favor of House Bill 2020 in 2019, which directed the Oregon Investment Council to divest state pension funds from thermal coal companies within five years. The measure passed amid Democratic majorities and contributed to Oregon's broader shift toward restricting fossil fuel investments, though economic analyses later questioned its impact on returns without diversified energy strategies. As Speaker, he oversaw the 2021 special session passage of Senate Bill 550, mandating overtime pay for farmworkers after 40 hours weekly—phased in over years—which labor advocates hailed as correcting exploitative practices but agricultural groups contended raised costs and reduced competitiveness.[26] In reproductive policy, Rayfield led the House in passing House Bill 5202 during the 2022 short session, creating the Reproductive Equity Investment Fund with $75 million allocated over two years to support access to abortion services, including travel and logistical aid for patients facing barriers post-Dobbs v. Jackson. The fund's outcomes included grants to clinics and nonprofits, facilitating thousands of procedures amid interstate restrictions. Similarly, under his speakership, House Bill 2002 passed in May 2023, shielding Oregon healthcare providers from civil lawsuits originating in states banning abortion or gender transition interventions, with provisions for state-funded defense; this law took effect in September 2023 and has been invoked in legal defenses against out-of-state actions.[91][92] These legislative successes occurred within Democratic supermajorities, enabling passage despite Republican opposition and occasional walkouts, but outcomes have faced implementation challenges, such as funding shortfalls in the equity fund and ongoing litigation over provider protections. Rayfield's role emphasized procedural advancement over authorship in later sessions, reflecting his leadership position in prioritizing such measures.[93]Personal life
Family and residences
Dan Rayfield resides in Corvallis, Oregon, with his wife, Amanda, and their son, Adam.[2][8][7] The family has been based in Corvallis, where Rayfield previously represented the area in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2015 to 2024.[10] No additional details on prior residences or extended family are publicly documented in official biographies.[94]Influences and worldview
Rayfield's leadership philosophy derives primarily from his upbringing in a politically divided household, where his mother affiliated with the Green Party and his father identified as a Republican.[9][8] This exposure to diametrically opposed perspectives fostered in him an approach emphasizing consensus-building and common ground, which he has applied throughout his legislative service, including as Speaker of the Oregon House from 2022 to 2023.[57] His worldview prioritizes pragmatic governance over ideological purity, reflecting a commitment to bipartisan collaboration informed by familial influences rather than rigid partisanship.[95] As a result, Rayfield has advocated for policies balancing progressive priorities, such as consumer protections and public safety enhancements, with efforts to bridge divides in Oregon's polarized political landscape.[9] This outlook aligns with his professional background as a civil attorney, where resolution through negotiation often supersedes confrontation.[11]Electoral history
Rayfield won a special election for Oregon House District 16 on November 3, 2015, following a vacancy.[96] He was reelected in the 2016 general election, receiving 17,517 votes (58.2 percent).[97] Rayfield secured reelection in the 2018 general election for the same district.[98]| Year | Election | Party | Votes | Percentage | Opponent (Party) | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Oregon House District 16 | Democratic | 25,742 | 76.1% | Jason Hughes (Republican) | 8,099 | 23.9% |
| 2022 | Oregon House District 16 | Democratic | 22,483 | 75.3% | Keith Lembke (Republican) | 7,362 | 24.7% |