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Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley is the son of a sawmill worker. In high school, he was an exchange student in a small town in Ghana where he experienced living with families who had to struggle just to feed themselves. He later studied International Relations at Stanford and obtained a Masters of Public Policy degree at Princeton. Along the way, he worked in villages in Mexico and spent a summer in India. He has worked for affordable housing and served as the executive director of Habitat for Humanity.
In 1998, Merkley was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives and in 2003, elected the Democratic Leader. In 2006, under his leadership, the Democrats gained a majority in the House for the first time in 16 years. Merkley led the 2007 legislative session to its most progressive and productive session in 30 years. It passed historic anti-discrimination bills, passed historic investments in alternative energy, made Oregon a national leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, passed strong new laws protecting consumers and those in poverty, and made progress in education and health care.
In the Senate, Merkley will fight to end the war in Iraq, support veterans, fight for improved education, and fight global warming with plans for sustainability and renewable energy. He deserves our support.
Update: As of July, a Rasmussen poll show the race is tied.
