U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer told supporters Monday that he won’t seek reelection, ending his congressional career after nearly three decades and setting the stage for a potentially contested Democratic primary to fill his Portland seat.
Blumenauer, 75, has represented Portland on the federal, state or local level for 50 years and ascended to the U.S. House in 1996 in a special election after then-Rep. Ron Wyden was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected 13 times, coasting to victory in the Democrat-heavy 3rd District every two years. He received 70% of the vote in his reelection bid last fall.
Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal is expected to announce she is running for Blumenauer’s seat, multiple sources with direct knowledge of her plans told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. She could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. It is unclear if other Democrats will also compete for the seat.
“It’s been extraordinarily rewarding, but it’s time to step aside, help some other people play their roles and for me to be more of a resource,” Blumenauer said. He announced his retirement at a private event with family, friends and former staff members Monday night.
Known for his signature bow ties, Blumenauer has made a name for himself as a staunch advocate of bicycle infrastructure and public transit and a longtime supporter of marijuana legalization. In 2017, the Democrat helped form the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. He is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Blumenauer serves on the powerful Ways and Means committee and previously chaired the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee.
He will continue to represent Portland in Congress through the end of 2024.
“I have this process I go through every other year to figure out if it makes sense to devote two more years of my life and to campaigns, and I’ve just come to the conclusion that it doesn’t make sense for me to do it again,” Blumenauer said in an interview Monday. “The issues that I’m working on, many of them … had spectacular success the last two years and part of the challenge is just to implement what we’ve got.”
He pointed specifically to things like provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that address the climate crisis, “unprecedented” investments in infrastructure and renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Before he leaves Washington D.C., Blumenauer said, he’ll work to “finish the job” of implementing infrastructure investments in roads and bridges, clean water legislation and more.
Raised in Southeast Portland, Blumenauer was first elected to the Oregon House in 1972 at age 23, just two years after graduating from Lewis & Clark College. After three terms in the Legislature, he went on to serve eight years on the Multnomah County Commission and nine years on the Portland City Council before being elected to Congress. He is credited with helping shape Portland’s public transportation infrastructure and establish Portland’s reputation as a bicycle-friendly city.
In a news release, Blumenauer’s team also touted his work on expanding health coverage for 500,000 Oregonians by helping to write the Affordable Care Act, creating pathways to legal permanent status for Iraqi and Afghan nationals who supported U.S. Military missions in their countries and securing $1.5 trillion for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included a 70% increase in bike and pedestrian funding.
In 2022, a bicycle and pedestrian bridge bearing Blumenauer’s name opened over Interstate 84 in Portland.
“I’ve earned the right not to be on an airplane 14 hours a week and be able to concentrate more on my family and friends and maybe have a little fun,” he said. He said he intends to stay active in helping Portland, but is happy to “be patient and see what people think I can do.”
Blumenauer said he doesn’t intend to get involved in the race to replace him, but thinks there will be plenty of potential candidates. Each time a Democrat has won control of the White House, he said, Oregonians with political aspirations have campaigned for him to be named U.S. Secretary of Transportation so they can try to run for his seat.
“There are literally a dozen people salivating at the prospect of getting in this race,” he said.
Democrats outnumber Republicans more than three to one in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Multnomah County and stretches into Hood River and northeastern Clackamas counties. That means the real race to take over Blumenauer’s seat will come in the May Democratic primary, with the winner of the primary expected to coast to victory in November.
No Democrats have filed to run for the seat thus far. If Jayapal does enter the race, she would have to step down from her seat on the Multnomah County Commission. Her sister, Pramila Jayapal, represents Seattle in Congress and has developed a national profile as a progressive Democrat.
Deborah Kafoury, former chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, didn’t rule out the possibility that she could run for the seat.
“I’m still weighing my options, but I’m not making any announcements anytime soon,” she told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Portland City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh contributed to this report.
-- Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at [email protected] or (503) 260-3430.