Stand Tall For America

About Ron Wyden

Whether he’s taking on powerful interests, listening to constituents at one of his regular town hall meetings, or representing Oregonians’ views on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Ron Wyden is known for his strong, effective leadership on the issues that matter most. 

Ron Wyden was elected to the US Senate in 1996, after serving in the US House of Representatives for 15 years, and holds the Senate seat once held by his mentor, the late Wayne Morse.  In Oregon, he’s known for his accessibility to the public.  He holds town meetings in each of the state’s 36 counties, every single year - and the occasional ice cream social.

Standing Tall for America

In the Senate, Senator Wyden is known for his bipartisan approach to solving problems, his effectiveness in getting things done, and his creative approach to tough problems - particularly in the areas of health care, technology, and natural resources.

He serves on the Committees on Finance, Budget, Aging, Intelligence, and Energy and Natural Resources - where he serves on subcommittees on Energy and Water & Power, and chairs the subcommittee on Forests & Public Land.

Standing Tall for Oregon 

Senator Wyden is known for his tough fights on behalf of Oregonians.  For example, he stood alone on the floor of the US Senate - and prevented the Senate from overturning Oregon’s Death with Dignity law, passed twice by the people. 

He went head-to-head with the EPA to reduce cancer-causing benzene in gasoline sold in Oregon. And Ron Wyden has always fought to protect Oregon’s natural treasures - protecting Oregon’s Bull Run Watershed, expanding wilderness protection in the bipartisan Steens Mountain legislation, and leading the fight to stop logging in Eagle Creek. 

Personal

Ron won a basketball scholarship to the University of California-Santa Barbara, and played in Division I competition for two seasons before transferring to Stanford University to complete his Bachelors degree with distinction. He earned his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1974, after which he taught gerontology and co-founded the Oregon chapter of the Grey Panthers, an advocacy group for the elderly.  He also served as the director of Oregon Legal Services for the Elderly from 1977 to 1979 and was a member of the Oregon State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators during that same period.  He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 until his election to the U.S. Senate.

Senator Wyden’s home is in Portland; he is married to Nancy Wyden, whom he wed in September 2005. He has four children: Adam, 24, Lilly, 18, and Ava Rose and William Peter, both born on October 26, 2007 in Portland.

Learn More 

Senator Wyden’s official US Senate biography 

Senator Wyden on Wikipedia