Peter DeFazio has been a United States House of Representatives member for more than 30 years. A Democrat, he represents the 4th District of Oregon, including Eugene and Corvallis.
Since 2019, DeFazio has been the chairman of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. As such, DeFazio was a crucial player in the passage of the massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He's also openly had a difference of opinion with the committee's ranking member, Republican Sam Graves of Missouri. However, Politico notes that the two get along quite well personally.
But DeFazio's remaining time as chairman seems to be limited.
Announces that he will not seek re-election in 2022
According to The Register-Guard, Peter DeFazio is not planning to seek another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. His leaving is another cause for stress for Democrats. For many reasons, the party is favored to lose its House majority during the 2022 midterm elections.
DeFazio's directly House-related career began as a U.S. Representative Jim Weaver staffer. Later, he was elected to the Board of Commissioners of Lane County, Oregon. Eventually, he became chairman of the board of commissioners.
In 1986, Weaver did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives. Instead, he ran for the United States Senate, initially successfully capturing the Democratic nomination.
However, Weaver would withdraw from the race, plagued by campaign finance scandals. Emerging amidst all of that, DeFazio won the race for Weaver's House seat.
DeFazio has been re-elected to the House 17 times since then. He's also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate. Though he only officially runs for the Senate on one occasion.
After Republican Senator and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bob Packwood resigned in 1995, DeFazio sought the Democratic nomination for the ensuing special election. He lost the nomination to fellow U.S. Representative Ron Wyden. Wyden has since himself become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Energy Committee.
Is a military veteran
Peter DeFazio was born in Needham, Massachusetts, near Boston. On the same day that DeFazio announced he was stepping aside, so did another noted politician from Needham. That being Republican Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. Their fellow Needham native, Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, won re-election a few weeks earlier.
DeFazio would serve as an officer in the United States Air Force. He also graduated from Tufts University in Massachusetts and the University of Oregon.
