Val Hoyle

An experienced leader and dedicated public servant

Rep. Val Hoyle is an experienced leader and dedicated public servant who ran for Congress to fight for Oregon women and families. She grew up in a family with union roots going back three generations, and her firefighter father taught her to not only work hard, but also to hold the ladder so the next person has the opportunity to climb. Rep. Hoyle has worked for minimum wage as a waitress, been a small business owner, and has 25 years of experience working in the outdoor industry, focusing on retail sales and international trade, and she took her values and private sector experience with her when she turned to public service. She has represented the residents of West Eugene and Junction City in the Oregon legislature, and was elected to the position of majority leader. In 2018, she was elected statewide to serve as Oregon’s labor commissioner. In this role, she ensured that workers were paid the wages and benefits they are owed under the law, oversaw enforcement of civil rights and housing discrimination protections for Oregonians, and had jurisdiction over apprenticeship programs that provide workforce training across the state. Rep. Hoyle lives in Springfield, Oregon with her husband and their dog, and has two grown children.

A champion for Oregon families 

Rep. Hoyle has an outstanding record of fighting to expand opportunity for all Oregonians and successfully advocating for policies that help families and communities thrive. As state House majority leader, she led successful efforts to increase the state’s minimum wage, to provide paid sick leave for workers, to expand Oregon’s Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions, to require universal background checks for firearm purchases, to expand ballot access through Oregon’s groundbreaking “Motor Voter” law, and to pass a first-in-the-nation requirement for health insurers to cover 12-month supplies of birth control. As labor commissioner 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. Rep. Hoyle has secured a three-fold increase in settlements for victims of discrimination, and cracked down on employers who exploit their workers and compete unfairly with responsible businesses. Now, she is ready to give Oregon families a powerful new voice in Congress.

Victory for a must-win open seat

Rep. Hoyle successfully ran in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District for a seat held by Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio. We showed her the full support of the EMILY’s List community and helped elect this champion for Oregon families.