Val Hoyle

Val Hoyle was born in Fairfield, California in 1964.[1] She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Emmanuel College in 1992. Her career experience includes working as a director at United Way of Lane County, a policy fellow at Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, and a commissioner at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. Hoyle has also worked in domestic and international sales, as well as manufacturing distribution.[2][3][4] Hoyle previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017, serving as majority leader from 2013 to 2015, and as Commissioner of Labor and Industries from 2019 to 2023.[1]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased August 20, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a third-generation union member, I know Oregonians need someone in their corner who knows what it’s like to work hard to make ends meet. I led the fight to expand apprenticeships programs to create more good-paying jobs in Oregon. In Congress, I am working to lower the cost of groceries, create more workforce housing and protect Social Security and Medicare. I’m proud of the record I’ve built standing up for working people, and with your support, I’ll keep fighting for you in Congress.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Every Oregonian deserves access to a good-paying job. In Oregon, I expanded apprenticeship and job training programs, increased the minimum wage, and secured paid sick leave. I will always fight for working people.Extreme politicians want to pass a national abortion ban that would strip women of the right to control their own bodies. I will always fight to keep healthcare decisions between a patient and their medical provider and stand up to any attempt to ban abortion, birth control, or IVF.In Congress, I will continue fighting to lower costs for working families by taking on oil companies to lower gas prices, standing up to big pharma to bring down drug costs, and going after anyone who tries to price gouge Oregonians.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Our district covers over 250 miles of coast and is home to countless scenic rivers and forests. I am passionate about protecting our communities from wildfire, ensuring all Oregonians have access to a good-paying job, and preserving our natural environment for future generations.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

As a teenager, I waited tables and worked summers in a local bike ship. After I graduated college, I spent 25 years working in the international bicycle industry in manufacturing distribution and international trade.

What committees interest you?

I am proud to sit on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Val Hoyle did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Hoyle's campaign website stated the following:

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, reproductive freedoms and access to abortion are at risk. We need leaders in Congress who will prioritize reproductive health – like Val Hoyle. Val has fearlessly defended a woman’s right to choose, and will fight back against anti-abortion extremists who want to take away our rights. She trusts women to make their own health care decisions. That’s why, while serving in the state legislature, Val fought to pass a comprehensive women’s health bill that would require insurance companies to cover contraception, abortion, and postpartum care. In Congress, Val will work to protect reproductive freedoms by:

Voting to protect women’s right to an abortion.

Standing up to any attempts to criminalize and limit a woman’s right to bodily autonomy.

Advocating for equal access to comprehensive sex education, fertility options, abortion, and birth control.

Standing with doctors and medical professionals who provide reproductive healthcare.

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Climate change and environmental degradation isn’t a future threat: it is an immediate emergency that we are experiencing today in the form of wildfires, extreme heat, drought, contaminated water, and more. In the legislature, Val helped expand Oregon’s Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions, worked to move Oregon off of coal power, and increased renewable energy standards for utilities. In Congress, she will work to reestablish the United States as a global leader in addressing climate change, fight for clean air and water, and protect Oregon’s natural treasures. Val’s plan to tackle the climate crisis includes:

Moving America to a 100% Clean Electricity standard.

Fighting for a just transition to a renewable energy future that provides good jobs for Oregonians and protects families from high energy costs.

Halting new fossil fuel leasing on our federal public lands.

Pushing for the federal investments necessary to make Oregon a leader in renewable energy generation.

INFLATION AND COST OF LIVING

As a working mom who raised her family here, Val Hoyle knows firsthand the impact inflation is having on Oregon families. In Congress, she will work with anyone regardless of party to pass common sense ways to bring prices down and wages up, including:

Addressing the supply chain issues that drive up costs by increasing American manufacturing.

Pushing for development of a container port in Coos Bay to create thousands of good-paying jobs, reduce shipping congestion, and give Oregon farmers and producers easy access to get their goods to market.

Lowering energy costs for families and businesses while we transition to a clean energy economy.

Continuing her work to expand workforce training opportunities so Oregon has the highly-skilled workforce we need to be competitive.

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

Oregon’s housing crisis has many faces, from homeless encampments in our cities, to families trying to reestablish their lives after being displaced by wildfires, to the less visible but no less urgent reality of people living in a vehicle or on the couches of friends and family. In our coastal communities, short stay rentals from corporations like Airbnb make the problems even worse. The high cost of housing across this district prevents businesses from recruiting workers and pinches working families. A huge part of the problem stems from decades of the federal government having completely abandoned its responsibilities on public and affordable housing. As our next member of Congress, Val will:

Fight for major investments in new public housing in the communities hardest hit by the affordable housing shortage, including workforce housing.

Shift tax policies that subsidize the wealthy toward creating more opportunities for first-time home ownership.

Get the federal government to recognize homelessness as a crisis to mobilize resources.

Strengthen the enforcement of fair housing laws.

WORKING FAMILIES

As a working mom, Val has seen the struggles Oregon families face. In the legislature, she fought for paid sick leave, increasing Oregon’s minimum wage, and for the largest increase in public education funding in Oregon history. In Congress, we can count on her to stand up for women and their families, and fight for:

Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and eliminating the tipped minimum wage.

Universal preschool and federal support to ensure affordable child care costs for working families.

Comprehensive paid family and medical leave for all workers.

Strong enforcement of protections against discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

Federal investments in workforce training and expanding the apprenticeship model in areas like construction, fire fighting, and mental health services so Oregon has the workforce it needs to be competitive and more Oregonians can get good-paying, highly-skilled jobs.

Passage of the PRO Act to make it easier for workers to form unions and collectively bargain.

HEALTH CARE

There is no question that the Affordable Care Act made significant improvements, but the reality is that our health care system is still not affordable for most Americans, with sky-high deductibles and out of control prescription costs meaning that care is still not universal. Val’s health care priorities include:

Passing universal health care legislation to ensure that every American has access to affordable, quality care when they need it.

Finally allowing Medicaid and Medicare to bargain with Big Pharma on prescription costs, and ensuring those savings are available to all Americans.

Lowering unaffordable deductibles so that health insurance is an actual benefit, instead of a shell game.

Protecting the integrity of Medicare and Social Security, so we can keep our promises to older Americans.

Safeguarding abortion access and reproductive healthcare for all Americans.

EDUCATION

As the first in her family to graduate from college and someone who struggled with dyslexia in school, Val knows first-hand the power of public education to build opportunity for people and create a strong foundation for a vital economy. As Labor Commissioner, Val has championed paid apprenticeship programs that provide hands-on workforce training throughout Oregon, and expanded apprenticeship opportunities beyond the building and construction trades in partnership with labor unions, employers and community colleges. In the legislature, she was one of the loudest voices in favor of K-12 and higher education funding. Unfortunately, the federal role in education took a giant step backwards during the Donald Trump/Betsy DeVos administration. Val will fight for:

Canceling crippling student loan debt and reforming the predatory student loan industry.

Direct federal investment in public education at all levels, including funding to support free community college for all.

Full federal funding of IDEA to finally fulfill the promise of a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities.

Ensuring that the federal government keeps its commitment to fund Title I so that all students have equal access to quality public education.

VOTING RIGHTS

Access to democracy is a more urgent issue than it has been in a generation. Increased attacks on voting rights have surged across the country, undermining access to the ballot and fundamental protections of the Voting Rights Act. In the legislature, Val led the effort to pass Oregon’s automatic voter registration law to expand ballot access. She understands the clear role of the federal government in protecting this fundamental right, and will fight for:

Passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Ending Citizens United and cracking down on corporate dark money in our elections.

Passage of the For the People Act to protect voting rights and reduce the influence of money in politics.

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

Val spent 25 years in the private sector working in the bicycle industry and she knows firsthand what it’s like to sign the front – and back – of a paycheck. As Labor Commissioner, Val improved her agency’s responsiveness and outreach to the business community. She knows that small businesses don’t have an army of lawyers and accountants to help them understand the law. In Congress, Val will advocate for our small businesses to make sure they have the tools they need to be successful.[18]

—Val Hoyle's campaign website (2022)[19]

Hoyle emphasized the following issues as her key priorities:

Creating Jobs and Opportunity

During the worst recession we faced in our lifetime, Val focused on creating good jobs and promoting healthy businesses—in the state house district she represented and across our state. Val supported the construction of the Oregon State Hospital in Junction City, bringing thousands of good family wage jobs to Lane County and providing important access to high­-level care for those who need it. She supported public works and transportation projects across Oregon that created good jobs and improved our infrastructure to help businesses grow and thrive. She worked to expand access to capital for small businesses and reduce red tape for starting a business in Oregon. She supports equal work for equal pay for women, paid time off for workers and a higher minimum wage so no Oregonian who works full time will live in poverty. Val has also been a strong advocate for Oregon farmers markets by modernizing laws to allow farmers to sell directly to the public.

Improving Public Education

Val first got involved in Oregon politics over a decade ago working for grassroots education groups like Stand for Children and fighting for adequate and stable funding for K­12 education. Since taking office, Val has continued to stand up for education and served as the Vice­ Chair of the House Higher Education Sub­-Committee. In the last three years as Majority Leader of the Oregon House, Val has made protecting public education one of her top priorities.

Val is helping lead the effort in Salem to create a seamless education pathway from birth to higher education that focuses on the best outcomes for students. In 2013, Val led Democrats in the House to pass the largest K­12 budget in Oregon history—increasing education funding by over $1 billion. Even during the worst days of the financial crisis, Val never gave up on her commitment to find solutions to reduce class sizes and add school days.

Val is a tireless advocate for our state universities and community colleges. She has worked to reform our higher education system through innovative ideas to make college more affordable and accessible—like the University of Oregon’s New Partnership Proposal and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. She’s been an advocate for increasing workforce development programs at our community colleges. And Val voted to freeze college tuition at Oregon’s public universities and to increase financial aid so more Oregonians could go to college.

Making it Easier to Vote

Oregon led the nation in making it easier for all our citizens to participate in elections with our groundbreaking vote-by-mail system. But Val Hoyle believes even more can be done to increase voter participation and remove barriers.

That’s why Val led the effort in the State House to pass a NEW Motor Voter law to automatically register Oregon drivers who are eligible to vote but who are not currently on the state’s voter rolls. The updated process using DMV records will make voter registration simpler, more convenient and more secure.

Automatic motor voter registration will dramatically expand access to Oregon elections. The new law could add as many as 300,000 Oregonians to the voter rolls. For Val, this isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about removing unnecessary, outdated barriers to voting and making sure every eligible voter has a chance to cast a ballot.

Government Transparency and Accountability

Val Hoyle knows nothing is more important than making sure the people of Oregon have a government they can trust. That’s why Val is committed to passing new laws to increase accountability and transparency in state offices and agencies. She’s ready to work closely with Governor Kate Brown on comprehensive legislation to restore Oregonians’ confidence in our state government.

Women's Health and Wellness

Val Hoyle is proudly pro-choice. As Majority Leader and a State Representative, she worked to make sure women across Oregon could access reproductive health care services when they needed them most. Val championed new laws requiring insurance coverage for 12-months of contraceptives and allowing pharmacists to write on-demand birth control prescriptions.

Val Hoyle also helped pass Oregon’s landmark paid sick time bill. This will ensure all working Oregonians can earn paid time off when they are ill or when they need to care for a sick child, spouse or parent.[20][18]