[Retiring at the end of current term.] There may be persistent stalemate on many issues, but Peter DeFazio leads one of the few areas where a now-unified Democratic Congress and White House could make progress — transportation and infrastructure. The Oregon Democrat is prepared to pursue ambitious goals in the 117th Congress and has long pressed for the federal government to make the nation’s transportation infrastructure needs a higher priority, including by providing considerably more funding. DeFazio won his first elected office in 1982, by winning a seat on the Lane County Commission, and then won the race to replace his former boss Rep. Jim Weaver (D-Ore) in Congress four years later.

Learn what Peter DeFazio says about finding common ground