Senator Kathleen Taylor

Political Party: Democratic

District: Senate District 21

Senator Kathleen Taylor has lived in Oregon for over 25 years and resides in Southeast Portland with her husband, Chris, and two children who attended Portland Public Schools. Her career spans the private, public, and volunteer sectors. She began as a recruiter at Boly:Welch, helping small businesses place hundreds of Oregonians in jobs. She later pursued a graduate degree in public policy and worked as a Management Auditor, examining and analyzing government programs at the City of Portland, Metro, Multnomah County, and the Oregon Secretary of State's Office.

Beyond her professional work, Taylor has been active in her community as a Court Appointed Special Advocate defending children's rights, a VISTA volunteer helping at-risk children in rural Idaho, a Portland Public Schools Citizen Budget Review Committee member, and PTA President at her children's school.

Education

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Master's degree in Public Policy from Rutgers University.

Political Experience

Taylor was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2015, representing District 41. In her 2016 state senate race, she won the Democratic primary with 89 percent of the vote and the general election with 77 percent. She was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 2017 and re-elected in 2020 with nearly 100 percent of the vote.

Notable Legislative Achievements:
- Championed Oregon's Equal Pay Act, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and the Student Success Act
- Led legislation addressing greenhouse gases and carbon emissions
- Worked to combat human trafficking
- Chaired the Senate Redistricting Committee during the 2020 redistricting efforts

Current Committee Positions:
- Chair, Senate Committee on Labor and Business
- Co-Chair, Joint Ways & Means Committee on Natural Resources
- Member, Senate Finance and Revenue Committee
- Member, Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee
- Member, Joint Committee on Audits