Former Oregon Speaker of the House Dan Rayfield visited Umatilla County in his campaign to become the state’s next attorney general. His first stop was June 19 in Hermiston.

Local business owners and officials attended the meeting with Rayfield at the Umatilla Electric Cooperative Business Resource Center, and each had many questions to ask the attorney general contender.

The first point of dispute was about broadband network issues, and the disadvantages it poses for any child in education or an asynchronous worker.

Rayfield took a different approach to answering; he explained the process it takes for a politician to contact a company, and to solve an issue such as broadband access.

“There is a massive political risk when any politician says they can solve all your problems,” Rayfield said. “I always want to make sure that I am direct as possible.”

Funding for the fire departments, food banks and community colleges also were central topics.

With each answer, Rayfield was adamant to share not only what the government can do for Oregonians, but how residents can help deal with issues themselves. Rayfield discussed the hurdles politicians and legislators must deal with to solve an issue, and how time-consuming it can be.

Rayfield came east at the invitation of Rep. Greg Smith. While Rayfield is a Democrat and Smith is a Republican, the two have known each other for more than a decade. Smith said in that span they have developed a collaborative relationship and can communicate with each other, even when they disagree.

Smith said he invited Rayfield with a goal of bridging Oregon’s urban-rural divide. Smith said he wanted Rayfield to understand the issues people are dealing with in House District 57, including nitrate contamination in groundwater, and energy development projects.

Rayfield seeks to succeed Ellen Rosenblum, who is retiring after 12 years as the Oregon attorney general. Rayfield, who easily won the Democratic nomination in the May 21 primary with almost 76% of the votes, is running against Republican Will Lathrop, a Wallowa County native.

Lathrop, a Newberg attorney, also cruised to victory in the May primary, earning more than 64% of the vote.

Lathrop has worked for International Justice Mission, a nonprofit human rights agency, in Uganda and Ghana, where he worked on projects to address human trafficking and help widows and orphans with land rights. He also was a deputy district attorney for nearly a decade until 2014 in Marion and Yamhill counties.

Common questions in the audience and for many voters are what skills Rayfield would bring to the position and what sets him apart from Lathrop.

Throughout the meeting, Rayfield referred to his previous legal experience. He said he believes the attorney general is the attorney for each Oregonian.

“I think one advantage would be the legal experience and having managed a law firm practice,” he said. “I have spent 18 years being in the courtroom and representing individuals.”

Rayfield also touted his experience as Speaker of the House.

“Having been the speaker of the House the past two years, I was tasked with running an entity with more than 400 employees and a budget of over $400 million,” Rayfield said. “There are very few people that I think have been fortunate enough to serve in the roles that I’ve served in and have the same results.”

Besides his many years in the legal and legislative fields, Rayfield’s education is another unique part of his past.

With a low high school GPA, and gaining a police record before earning his diploma, Rayfield did not have the typical politician’s path to office. And his academic tendencies followed him through his first few semesters at college, leading him to a low point in his life.

Rayfield then enrolled in community college, where his grades improved substantially. He said he connected with a professor there, and soon was able to pursue a law degree, something he felt “fit both my skill set and my personality.”

Rayfield’s journey into the professional world started in 2009, when he joined a law firm after working as a clerk during law school.

Just a few years later, he decided to expand his horizons, and was sworn in as a state representative in 2015. After the 2015 legislative session, House Democrats elected Rayfield as the majority whip, and he joined additional committees, determined to make a difference.

In early 2022, Rayfield sought out his next position, and was sworn in as the speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives. His term was somewhat short-lived, as he stepped down after the 2024 legislative session so he could run for attorney general.

“The attorney general is at the perfect nexus of every issue we’re seeing in communities right now,” Rayfield said. “Whether it is the housing crisis or community safety, this is a great time to move into this role and attack these issues with a different set of tools.”

On Rayfield’s career path, there is no set end goal; he is enjoying every minute he can serve the community.

“I think anyone who has an end goal or position they are trying to achieve is doing it for the wrong reasons,” he said. “You have to have a passion and a vision for what you are doing. I am running for this position because I’m excited about it, and I really do believe I can make a difference. And so I don’t look to the future and view myself.”

With each town or county he visits, Rayfield said he learns more valuable information. He said he believes a politician’s role is to be facilitator, and by having a conversation, he can hear ideas from people who “do the real work in the community.”

Following the stop in Hermiston, Rayfield and Smith held meetings at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and in Milton-Freewater.

— East Oregonian managing editor Phil Wright contributed to this report.

“The attorney general is at the perfect nexus of every issue we’re seeing in communities right now. Whether it is the housing crisis or community safety … this is a great time to move into this role and attack these issues with a different set of tools.”

— Dan Rayfield, Democrat running for the office of Oregon attorney general