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Dan A. Rayfield (born March 1, 1979) is an American politician serving as the
{{R from other capitalisation ...
representing the
16th
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
district, which includes
Corvallis and
Philomath
A philomath () is a lover of learning and studying. The term is from Greek (; "beloved", "loving", as in philosophy or philanthropy) and , (, ; "to learn", as in polymath). Philomathy is similar to, but distinguished from, philosophy in that ...
.
Early life and education
Rayfield was born in
Orange County, California
Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...
. After moving to Oregon, he attended
Tigard High School. Rayfield later graduated from
Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public university in Monmouth, Oregon. It was originally established in 1856 by Disciples of Christ pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names included Oregon State Normal School, Oregon College of E ...
in 2003 and went on to earn his
J.D. degree from
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is the law school of Willamette University. Located in Salem, Oregon, and founded in 1883, Willamette is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. It has approximately 24 full-time law professors and e ...
.
Career
While in law school Rayfield worked as a clerk with the Benton County District Attorney's Office, gaining trial experience prosecuting misdemeanors and DUIIs.
After law school Rayfield began his legal career working for the Weatherford Thompson law firm in
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the county seat of Linn County, Oregon, and is the eleventh largest city in that state. Albany is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just ...
. His practice initially focused on general civil litigation.
In 2007, Rayfield served as a plaintiff's attorney in a high-profile case involving a police officer that wrongfully arrested several individuals under false DUII accusations.
Following a successful resolution to the case, Rayfield worked to help pass HB 2318 during the 2009 legislative session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. HB 2318 allowed people who were falsely accused of driving under the influence to remove the false charge from their record. The bill passed unanimously in the Oregon House and Senate and was signed into law by the governor on June 18, 2009.
In May 2009 Rayfield joined the law firm of Nelson & MacNeil. His practice focused on representing individuals with claims against corporations, and insurance companies. In 2014, Rayfield became a partner with the law firm changing the firm’s name to Nelson MacNeil Rayfield Trial Attorneys PC.
Oregon House of Representatives
Rayfield was sworn in as a state representative from House District 16 on January 12, 2015.
During the 2015 legislative session, Rayfield served on the House Committee on Rules, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, as co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources, and as vice chairman of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness. During the session Rayfield acted as a key facilitator, successfully negotiating a bipartisan solution to shore-up a $30 million shortfall with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife budget.
Following the 2015 legislative session, Rayfield was elected by his colleagues to serve as House majority whip. During the interim in 2015 Rayfield was also appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety.
In the 2016 legislative session, Rayfield sponsored several key bills that were eventually signed into law. In particular, he successfully shepherded legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits for up to an additional six months to locked-out workers, which immediately impacted 180 Steelworkers locked-out of the
Allegheny Technologies
ATI Inc. (previously Allegheny Technologies Incorporated) is an American producer of specialty materials, the company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
ATI produces titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys and superalloys, grain-or ...
plant in Albany, Oregon.
Rayfield was named a "Rising Star" by the
Oregon League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environme ...
(OLCV) in its 2015 Environmental Scorecard. He was recognized by OLCV for his work as co-chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources, and specifically his efforts to forge compromise to address a $30 million budget shortfall for the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.
The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and ...
.
In 2015, Rayfield was also chosen by the
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government.
Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...
West (CSG West), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving state legislators of both parties in 13 Western states, as a participant in its training institute for lawmakers in their first four years of service.
On February 1, 2022 Rayfield was sworn in as the Speaker of the House of the Oregon House Legislature.
Personal life
Rayfield lives in
Corvallis with his wife Amanda and their son. His mother was an activist and small business owner that reveled in dragging her son to events promoting progressive causes throughout his youth. His father, a retired colonel in the
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
and commercial insurance executive had more conservative views.
In the community, Rayfield has served numerous roles including Commissioner on the Linn-Benton Housing Authority, member of the New Roots Housing Board, Past-President of the Linn-Benton Bar Association, past chair of the Linn and Benton Judicial Screening Committee, past president of the Majestic Theater Management Board, former Linn County Peer Court Judge, and former coach of the Oregon State University Mock Trial Team.
External links
Campaign websiteLegislative website
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rayfield, Dan
1979 births
21st-century American politicians
Living people
Politicians from Tigard, Oregon
Politicians from Corvallis, Oregon
Oregon lawyers
People from Orange County, California
Speakers of the Oregon House of Representatives
Democratic Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
Western Oregon University alumni
Willamette University College of Law alumni