Lew Frederick is a Democratic politician representing Senate District 22 in the Oregon State Senate, covering most of north and northeast Portland. He has served as Majority Whip since 2021 and currently chairs the Senate Education Committee while co-chairing the Joint Ways & Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources. Notable achievements include being the highest-ranking Black leader and only Black man in the Oregon Legislature as of 2010, sponsoring reparations legislation , and prior roles on committees like Land Use and Ways & Means.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Attended Earlham College in Indiana; PhD candidate at Portland State University; studied at MIT, Morehouse College, and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratories. Academic background in biology, theater, and political science.
• Early Career: 17 years as a television reporter at KGW-Channel 8 in Portland; 13 years as Director of Public Information for Portland Public Schools; teacher, actor, ranch-hand; former board member of Oregon State Board of Education, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
• Political Experience: Appointed to Oregon House District 43 in October 2009, serving until 2017 ; elected to Senate District 22 in 2016 ; focused on justice in public safety, education, economic security, and quality-of-life issues; influenced by Civil Rights Movement experiences.