(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Portland native Earl Blumenauer has served in elected office in Oregon since 1972 when he won a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives at the age of 24. He’s been in politics ever since. On June 14th, Blumenauer’s supporters will throw him a big party to commemorate his 40 years in office.
The event, dubbed “40 Years of Leadership,” will take place at Memorial Coliseum and will include performances by Pink Martini and Storm Large.
During his four decades of leadership, Blumenauer has presided over much of the bicycle and transportation legacy that our region is so well known for. From his position as head of the City of Portland Department of Public Works (what we now call the Bureau of Transportation) from 1987 to 1996, Blumenauer (with Mia Birk as his right-hand woman) oversaw an explosion in bikeway miles. From his office in Washington D.C., where he’s served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1996, Blumenauer is without a doubt the most influential and well-known champion for bicycling on Capitol Hill.
