Summary
Current Position: US Representative of OR District 1 since 2012
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: State Senator from 2008 – 2011; State Delegate from 2007 – 2008
District: includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington counties
Upcoming Election:
After college, she became a legal assistant at Lane County Legal Aid in Eugene. After law school, she became a consumer protection attorney for the Federal Trade Commission in the nation’s capital. She went into private practice in Portland and represented small businesses.
Quotes:
I’ve seen the power of workforce training programs in NW Oregon, & talking with workers inspired me to fight for robust investments in workforce development. The $100B workforce investment in the American Jobs Plan is what will meet the need at this time in our country’s history.
Oregon Rep. Bonamici: Federal Agents In Portland ‘Are Not Welcome’ | Hallie Jackson | MSNBC
OnAir Post: Suzanne Bonamici 0R-01
News
About
Source: Government page
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici represents the First Congressional District of Oregon, which includes Washington, Yamhill, Clatsop, and Columbia counties and part of Multnomah County.
Strengthening public education is one of Suzanne’s top priorities and one of the reasons she got involved in public service. Suzanne spent hundreds of hours volunteering in public schools before serving in the Oregon State Legislature, where she passed legislation to reduce duplicative testing. In Congress, she is a leader on the Education and Labor Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services. The Congresswoman has long been an advocate for equity in education policy and funding. She is dedicated to setting national policies that give students the support and opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life. She played a lead role in the passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind, reduced testing, put more focus on well-rounded education, and gave more decision-making back to states and local districts.
Suzanne worked her way through college in Eugene, first at Lane Community College and then at the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree. She is focused on making college more affordable and providing workers with in-demand skills to enter the workforce. Suzanne is the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional STEAM Caucus, which encourages innovation and creative thinking by integrating arts and design with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education.
Suzanne is honored to serve on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, where she is working to implement the Climate Action Plan, take immediate action to reduce emissions, create good-paying jobs, support a just transition, and strengthen the resilience of our communities. She is also a senior member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and a leader on the Subcommittee on the Environment and the Subcommittee on Energy. From this position, she works to defend science, address the causes and consequences of climate change, and make sure that policy decisions are based on independent science. As a representative of coastal Oregon and co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus and Congressional Estuary Caucus, she is working to draw attention to issues that affect coastal communities.
In Congress, Suzanne is fighting to help working families get ahead and to build an economy that gives everyone the opportunity to succeed. She is a strong advocate for retirement security. In addition to protecting and strengthening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, Suzanne also advocates for policies that help workers save for retirement. Suzanne also supports paid family leave, raising the federal minimum wage, making sure workers have a voice on the job, and workforce development programs. Suzanne is vigilant about making sure that women have access to a full range of family planning services, including abortion.
During college and law school, Suzanne worked at Lane County Legal Aid. After law school, Suzanne was an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., where she was in the Credit Practices Division of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. She then practiced law in Portland, where she represented individuals and small businesses. Suzanne has brought her commitment to consumer protection and access to justice to her work in Congress.
Suzanne and her husband Michael have two grown children.
Personal
Full Name: Suzanne Bonamici
Gender: Female
Family: Husband: Michael; 2 Children: Andrew, Sara
Birth Date: 10/14/1954
Birth Place: Detroit, MI
Home City:Vista Hills, OR
Religion: Jewish
Source: Vote Smart
Education
JD, University of Oregon School of Law, 1983
BA, Journalism, School of Journalism, University of Oregon, 1980
AA, Legal Assistant Program, Lane Community College, 1978
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, Oregon, District 1, 2012-present
Former Assistant Majority Leader, Oregon State Senate
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Oregon, District 1, 2022
Senator, Oregon State Senate, 2008-2011
Representative, Oregon State House of Representatives, 2006-2008
Professional Experience
Attorney, Credit Practices Division, Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission
Legal Assistant/Attorney, Lane County Legal Aid Service
Legislative Assistant, Oregon State House of Representatives, 2001
Offices
Washington, DC Office
Phone: (202) 225-0855
Fax: (202) 225-9497
Beaverton Office
Phone: (503) 469-6010
Fax: (503) 469-6018
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Oregon’s 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S state of Oregon. The district stretches from Portland’s western suburbs and exurbs, to parts of the Oregon coast. The district includes the principal cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard, all located in the Portland metropolitan area. Geographically, the district is located in the northwest corner of Oregon. It includes all of Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties, most of Washington County excluding the extreme southeast, and a portion of southwest Multnomah County in Portland.
The district has been represented by Democrat Suzanne Bonamici since 2012. Bonamici won a special election to replace David Wu, who resigned in the wake of accusations of sexual misconduct.
Wikipedia
/ˌbɒnəˈmiːtʃi/ BONN-ə-MEE-chee; born October 14, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon’s 1st congressional district, a seat she was first elected to in a 2012 special election. The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, along with most of Portland’s western suburbs such as Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, and Lake Oswego.
A Democrat, Bonamici represented the 17th district in the Oregon State Senate from 2008 to 2011.[2] She was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006.
Early life and legal career
Bonamici was born in Detroit. She earned an associate degree from Lane Community College in 1978, and a bachelor’s degree in 1980 and J.D. in 1983, both from the University of Oregon.[3] After college, she became a legal assistant at Lane County Legal Aid in Eugene. After law school, she became a consumer protection attorney for the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. She went into private practice in Portland and represented small businesses.[4]
Oregon legislature
Elections
In 2006, incumbent Democratic State Representative Brad Avakian decided to retire to run for the Oregon Senate. Bonamici ran for the open seat in Oregon’s 34th House district and defeated Republican Joan Draper, 62%-36%.[5]
On April 30, 2008, commissioners from Washington and Multnomah Counties appointed Bonamici to represent Oregon’s 17th Senate district. The seat became vacant when Avakian was appointed Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.[6] She was sworn in on May 19, 2008.
Bonamici was unopposed in the November 2008 special election for the balance of Avakian’s four-year term, and was elected with 97% of the vote.[7] In 2010, she was reelected with 64% of the vote.[8]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
- Special election

In early 2011, Bonamici was mentioned as a possible successor to Representative David Wu after The Oregonian and Willamette Week reported that Wu exhibited odd behavior and clashed with his staff amid apparent mental illness during the 2010 election cycle.[9] After Wu resigned from Congress, Bonamici announced her candidacy for the special election to replace him,[10] touting endorsements from former Governor Barbara Roberts, former Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, and incumbent Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, among others.[11]
On November 8, 2011, Bonamici won the Democratic Party of Oregon‘s nomination, with a majority of the vote in every county in the district and 66% of the vote overall, a 44-point margin over second-place finisher Brad Avakian. She defeated Republican nominee Rob Cornilles in the January 31, 2012, special election[12] by a 14-point margin.[13]
Before her election to Congress, Bonamici resigned from the Oregon Senate on November 21,[14] and was replaced by Elizabeth Steiner Hayward in December.[15]
- 2012 regular election
In November 2012, Bonamici was reelected to her first full term with over 60% of the vote.[16]
Tenure

On July 31, 2014, Bonamici introduced the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 into the House.[17] The bill would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to spend $27 million a year for three years on their ongoing tsunami warning and research programs.[18]

Bonamici said, “the coastlines of the United States already play an integral role in the economic prosperity of this country and we must strengthen their preparedness and resiliency so they can continue to play that role going forward.”[18] She added that the bill “will improve the country’s understanding of the threat posed by tsunami events” because it will “improve forecasting and notification systems, support local community outreach and preparedness and response plans, and develop supportive technologies.”[19]
In January 2023, Bonamici was one of 13 cosponsors of an amendment to the Constitution of the United States extending the right to vote to citizens sixteen years of age or older.[20]
During the 117th Congress, Bonamici voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 99.1% of the time according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[21] She was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[22]
Bonamici voted to provide Israel with support following October 7 attacks.[23][24]
Committee assignments
Caucuses memberships
- Black Maternal Health Caucus[25]
- Congressional STEAM Caucus[26]
- Congressional Equality Caucus[27]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus.[28]
- Congressional Taiwan Caucus[29]
- Congressional Arts Caucus[30]
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[31]
- Climate Solutions Caucus[32]
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption[33]
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment[34]
- Rare Disease Caucus[35]
- Congressional Freethought Caucus[36]
Electoral history
Oregon Legislature
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzanne Bonamici | 11,780 | 61.5 | |
| Republican | Joan Draper | 6,902 | 36.0 | |
| Libertarian | Gregory F. Rohde | 439 | 2.3 | |
| Write-in | 27 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 19,148 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzanne Bonamici | 44,475 | 96.9 | |
| Write-in | 1,423 | 3.1 | ||
| Total votes | 45,898 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzanne Bonamici | 32,281 | 64.0 | |
| Republican | Stevan C Kirkpatrick | 18,041 | 35.8 | |
| Write-in | 87 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 50,409 | 100% | ||
United States Congress
| Year | Democratic | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 (Special) | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt187\”></span><span about=\”#mwt187\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>113,404 | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt191\”></span><span about=\”#mwt191\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Rob Cornilles | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt195\”></span><span about=\”#mwt195\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>39.6% | style=\”background:#C97979;color:black;\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Progressive | style=\”background:#C97979;color:black;\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>3.2% | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt207\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt207\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Libertarian | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt211\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt211\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>3.1% | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt215\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt215\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’> | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt219\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt219\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>0.3% | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt223\”></span><span about=\”#mwt223\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>59.6% | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt228\”></span><span about=\”#mwt228\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>109,699 | style=\”background:#C97979;color:black;\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>15,009 | style=\”background:#A356DE\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Bob Ekstrom | style=\”background:#A356DE\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>8,918 | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt248\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt248\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>509 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt255\”></span><span about=\”#mwt255\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>160,038 | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt261\”></span><span about=\”#mwt261\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Jason Yates | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt267\”></span><span about=\”#mwt267\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>34.5% | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt273\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt273\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Libertarian | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt279\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt279\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>4.0% | style=\”color:black;background-color:#17aa5c\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Pacific Green | style=\”color:black;background-color:#17aa5c\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>4.0% | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt293\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt293\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>0.2% | ||||||||||
| 2016 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt299\”></span><span about=\”#mwt299\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>59.6% | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt305\”></span><span about=\”#mwt305\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>139,756 | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt311\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt311\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Kyle Sheahan | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt317\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt317\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>3.2% | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt323\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt323\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’> | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt329\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt329\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>0.2% | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt335\”></span><span about=\”#mwt335\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>63.6% | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt341\”></span><span about=\”#mwt341\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>116,446 | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt347\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt347\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Drew Layda | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt353\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt353\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>4.2% | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt359\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt359\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>0.1% | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt365\”></span><span about=\”#mwt365\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>64.6% | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt371\”></span><span about=\”#mwt371\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>161,928 | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt377\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt377\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Write-ins | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt383\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt383\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>900 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt389\”></span><span about=\”#mwt389\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>210,682 | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt395\”></span><span about=\”#mwt395\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Christopher Mann | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt401\”></span><span about=\”#mwt401\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>31.9% | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt407\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt407\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’> | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt413\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt413\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>0.2% | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt419\”></span><span about=\”#mwt419\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>68.6% | style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt425\”></span><span about=\”#mwt425\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>98,908 | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt431\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt431\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Joe Christman | style=\”background:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt437\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt437\”>fed000\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>10,840 | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt443\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt443\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>Write-ins | style=\”background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Entity\” about=\”#mwt449\”>#</span><span about=\”#mwt449\”>DCDCDC\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>687 | {{cite web|url=http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebdrawer/RecordView/6873704|title=Voters' Pamphlet, Oregon General Election, November 6, 2012|publisher=Oregon Secretary of State|access-date=March 25, 2019|archive-date=May 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504205424/http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebdrawer/RecordView/6873704|url-status=live}}\n</ref>\n”,{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”Refend”,”href”:”./Template:Refend”},”params”:{},”i”:1}}]}’> * In the 2012 election, Steve Reynolds was co-nominated by the Libertarian and Pacific Green parties.[44] Personal lifeBonamici is married to Michael H. Simon, a federal judge.[45] They have two children. Bonamici was raised Episcopalian and Unitarian, and subsequently converted to Judaism.[46][47] She attends Congregation Beth Israel with her husband (who was born Jewish), and their children.[48][49] See alsoReferences
External links
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