About Val
A lifetime fighting for working people
Oregonians deserve leaders who get the job done.
Val Hoyle’s record of standing up for Oregon’s hardworking families and small businesses stems from a lifetime of experience. Growing up in a family with union roots that go back three generations, Val’s firefighter father taught her that you have to work hard for everything you get — but you also have to hold the ladder so the next person has the opportunity to climb.
Val put those lessons to work as a waitress working for minimum wage and in her 25 years working in the private sector in the outdoor industry, focusing on retail sales and international trade.
She took that experience and those values with her when she turned to public service.
Before serving in Congress, Val served as Oregon’s Labor Commissioner, a position voters statewide elected her to in 2018. As Labor Commissioner, Val ensured that workers are paid the wages and benefits they are owed under the law, oversaw enforcement of civil rights and housing discrimination protections for Oregonians, and had jurisdiction over apprenticeship programs that provide workforce training across the state.
During the pandemic, she fought to expand the Oregon Family Leave Act and ensure workers could continue to earn money part-time while retaining their unemployment benefits. Val has secured a three-fold increase in settlements for victims of discrimination, and cracked down on employers who exploit their workers and compete unfairly with responsible businesses.
Previously, Val represented the residents of West Eugene and Junction City in the Oregon legislature. During her tenure, she was elected to the position of Majority Leader and led successful efforts to:
Increase the state’s minimum wage.
Provide paid sick leave for workers.
Expand Oregon’s Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions.
Require universal background checks for firearm purchases.
Expand ballot access through Oregon’s groundbreaking “Motor Voter” law.
Pass a first-in-the-nation requirement for health insurers to cover 12-month supplies of birth control.
Val has made Lane County her home for more than twenty years. She and her husband Stephen raised their two children here. She and Stephen live in Springfield with their faithful dog Ronan.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.