OR-04: Val Hoyle (D)
Growing up in a family with union roots that go back three generations, Val Hoyle’s firefighter father taught her that you have to work hard for everything you get — but you also have to hold the ladder so the next person has the opportunity to climb.
Hoyle put those lessons to work as a waitress working for minimum wage and in her 25 years working in the private sector in the outdoor industry, focusing on retail sales and international trade.
Currently, she serves as Oregon’s Labor commissioner, a position voters statewide elected her to in 2018. As Labor commissioner, she ensures that workers are paid the wages and benefits they are owed under the law, oversees enforcement of civil rights and housing discrimination protections for Oregonians, and has jurisdiction over apprenticeship programs that provide workforce training across the state.
During the pandemic, she fought to expand the Oregon Family Leave Act and ensure workers could continue to earn money part-time while retaining their unemployment benefits.
Previously, she represented the residents of West Eugene and Junction City in the Oregon legislature. During her tenure, she was elected to the position of majority leader.
She and her husband Stephen live in Springfield with their faithful dog Ronan.
The above information was sourced from the candidate’s campaign website.