Peter DeFazio

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Peter DeFazio

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 6, 1987–
Preceded by	Jim Weaver
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	May 27, 1947 (age 59) Needham, Massachusetts
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Myrnie L. DeFazio
Religion	Roman Catholic

Peter Anthony DeFazio (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician. He serves as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Oregon, representing the 4th Congressional District.

DeFazio was born in Needham, Massachusetts. He served in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1971. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Tufts University in 1969 and a master of sciences degree from the University of Oregon in 1977 and worked as a gerontologist.

From 1977 to 1982, DeFazio worked for U.S. Representative Jim Weaver. DeFazio was elected as a Lane County commissioner in 1983 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1986. In 1986, DeFazio was elected to Weaver's House seat when Weaver did not seek reelection to the House. DeFazio began serving in Congress in 1987 (100th Congress). He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security committees.

In 1995, DeFazio ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from Oregon in a special primary, losing to Ron Wyden. He served as an Oregonian delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention. DeFazio has a solid liberal voting record, supporting the lowering of health care costs, environmental concerns, labor, and education improvements. He opposes the Iraq War, free trade agreements, and social security privatization.

In the 2006 election, DeFazio won re-election to an 11th term, defeating Republican Jim Feldkamp.

DeFazio is a member of the Catholic Church. He and his wife, Myrnie Daut, reside in Springfield.

Many considered DeFazio a potential candidate for the 2008 Senate election. On January 4, 2007, the day he was sworn in to another term in the 110th Congress, he announced he would not run against Gordon Smith in 2008,^[1] but as of March, 2007, a rumored offer of up to $5 million from the DSCC (as well as a poll showing him leading Smith in a hypothetical match-up [1]) have renewed speculation that he might run.^[2]