OAN Staff **Brooke Mallory**
Jeff Merkley has won reelection to the U.S. Senate, continuing to represent the Beaver State in Washington, D.C.
With 75% of the total votes counted, the Associated Press called the race for Merkley (D-Ore.), who received 56.6% of the votes, while Republican David Brock Smith received 40.5% on Tuesday.
Born in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, and raised in Roseburg and East Multnomah County, Merkley earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University and a Master of Public Policy from Princeton University. Prior to holding elected office, he worked in public administration — including a role as a technology analyst at the Congressional Budget Office — and later led non-profit organizations in Oregon, serving as the executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Portland.
Merkley began his political career in the Oregon House of Representatives, where he represented the 47th district from 1999 to 2009. In 2007, he became the Speaker of the Oregon House, leading the legislative chamber.
In 2008, Merkley ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly unseated two-term Republican incumbent Gordon Smith. Entering the Senate in January 2009, he built a reputation as a far-left lawmaker with a strong focus on financial reform, consumer protection and environmental sustainability.
During the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, he co-authored the “Volcker Rule” amendment, which prohibited commercial banks from engaging in proprietary trading. Over his Senate tenure, he has served on key committees including Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Environment and Public Works, and the Budget Committee.