Suzanne Bonamici

In 2006, incumbent Democratic State Representative Brad Avakian decided to retire to run for the Oregon Senate. She ran for the open seat in Oregon's 34th House district and defeated Republican Joan Draper 62%-36%.[4]

On April 30, 2008, Bonamici was appointed by Commissioners from both Washington and Multnomah counties to represent Oregon's 17th Senate district. The seat became vacant when Avakian was appointed Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.[5] She was sworn in on May 19, 2008.

Bonamici was unopposed in the November 2008 special election for the balance of Avakian's four-year term, and was elected with 97 percent of the vote.[6] In 2010, she won re-election with 64% of the vote.[7]

Special election

Bonamici during the 112th Congress

In early 2011, Bonamici's name was floated as a possible successor to then-Congressman David Wu after The Oregonian and Willamette Week reported Wu exhibited odd behavior and clashed with his staff in the midst of apparent mental illness during the 2010 election cycle.[8] Following Wu's resignation from Congress, Bonamici announced her candidacy for the special election to replace him,[9] touting endorsements from former Governor Barbara Roberts, former Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, and incumbent Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, among others.[10]

On November 8, 2011, Bonamici won the Democratic Party of Oregon's nomination, winning an outright majority of the vote in every county in the district and capturing 66% of the vote overall, with a 44-point margin over second-place finisher Brad Avakian. She faced Republican nominee Rob Cornilles in the special election on January 31, 2012,[11] winning by a 14-point margin.[12]

Prior to her election to Congress, Bonamici resigned from the Oregon Senate on November 21,[13] and was replaced by Elizabeth Steiner Hayward in December.[14]

2012 regular election

In November 2012, Bonamici won re-election to her first full term with over 60% of the vote.[15]

Bonamici with Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson

On July 31, 2014, Bonamici introduced the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 (H.R. 5309; 113th Congress) into the House.[16] The bill would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to spend $27 million a year for three years on their on-going tsunami warning and research programs.[17]

Bonamici said "the coastlines of the United States already play an integral role in the economic prosperity of this country and we must strengthen their preparedness and resiliency so they can continue to play that role going forward."[17] She added that this bill "will improve the country's understanding of the threat posed by tsunami events" because it will "improve forecasting and notification systems, support local community outreach and preparedness and response plans, and develop supportive technologies."[18]

• Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • United States House Science Subcommittee on Environment
  • United States House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training

• Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

• Congressional STEAM Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus.[19]
• Congressional Arts Caucus[20]
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[21]
• Climate Solutions Caucus[22]
• Medicare for All Caucus