Jeff Merkley
DemocratU.S. Senator, OR| Age | 69 (b. 1956-10-24) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2009-01-06 (~17 yrs) |
| Religion | Christian (Lutheran); he and his wife attend Central Lutheran Church |
| Education | B.A. in International Relations, Stanford University (1979); Master of Public Affairs, Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School (1982); graduate of David Douglas High School, Portland |
| Prior occupation | Policy analyst (Congressional Budget Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense) and nonprofit executive; Executive Director of Portland Habitat for Humanity (1991-1994); Director of Housing Development at Human Solutions; President of the World Affairs Council of Oregon |
| Birthplace | Myrtle Creek, Oregon |
| Marital status | Married — Mary Sorteberg |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Portland, Oregon |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · military service · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1998 |
| Ideology | Progressive Democrat; ranked among the most left-leaning members of the Senate (3rd most politically left in 2024 per GovTrack); only U.S. senator to endorse Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $4,550,000–$19,875,000 (2023) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.