Voting Station

Jeff Merkley

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U.S. Senator

The Resume

    (October 24, 1956- )
    Born in Myrtle Creek, Oregon
    Member of the Oregon House of Representatives (1999-2009)
    Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives (2007-09)
    US Senator from Oregon (assumed office January 3, 2009)
    Democrat

Why he might be annoying:

    He was the only sitting US Senator to endorse Bernie Sanders during the 2016 primaries.
    He was escorted away by police after trying to enter a detention facility where children were being kept separate from their parents under the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' policy on illegal immigration (June 2018)>
    He has been largely frustrated in his efforts to reform Senate rules to make it less dysfunctional.
    He actually loses sleep over filibuster reform: he once woke at 3 AM to try to think of a way to persuade Sen. Joe Manchin to join the effort.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a summer intern for Sen. Mark Hatfield (1976).
    As director of Portland Habitat for Humanity (1991-94), he initiated 'Youth Build,' in which youths at risk of joining gangs 'learn construction and life skills while building homes in their own neighborhoods.'
    He competed in several Ironman triathlons.
    He recorded a video for the 'It Gets Better' anti-bullying campaign.
    He said about his reputation for being outspoken, 'If there's an issue where things don't seem right, my view is I shouldn't be silent.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 19 Votes: 42.11% Annoying