Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Lori Michelle Chavez‑DeRemer, born April 7 1968, is an American businesswoman and former politician who served as the United States Secretary of Labor from 2025 until her resignation in 2026. Prior to her cabinet appointment, she represented Oregon’s fifth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives (2023–2025) and had been mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, for eight years (2011–2019). Her career has spanned local government, business consulting, and national politics.

Early life and career

Chavez‑DeRemer was born in Santa Clara, California, on April 7 1968. She grew up in the nearby city of Hanford, where her father worked as a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The family identified with Hispanic heritage, and Chavez‑DeRemer later noted that her upbringing was shaped by both cultural traditions and the values instilled by her father's involvement in labor organization.

After completing high school at Hanford High School in 1986, she entered the workforce to support herself through college. She worked as a peach packer for part of the summer and later served as a cashier, jobs that required early mornings and long hours but provided the necessary income to cover tuition costs. In 1990, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from California State University, Fresno, becoming the first member of her family to graduate from college.

Her professional trajectory in the late 1980s and early 1990s was varied. From January 1989 to May 1990, she worked as a receptionist at a Planned Parenthood clinic in California. In November 1990, she transitioned to a role as a medical consultant, applying her business training to health‑care settings. That same year, she married Shawn DeRemer, a surgical technician who had attended Hanford High School with her. The couple welcomed two children together and pursued medical school concurrently; however, Chavez‑DeRemer later stepped away from her own studies to support her husband's career.

In 2000 the family relocated to Happy Valley, Oregon. There she became increasingly involved in community affairs, first serving on the Parks Committee in 2002. Her civic engagement led to election to the Happy Valley City Council in 2004, where she eventually served as council president. In 2010, she was elected mayor of Happy Valley, becoming both the first woman and the first Latina to hold that office. She was re‑elected in 2014 and continued to serve until 2019. During her tenure as mayor, she oversaw municipal initiatives related to public safety, infrastructure, and community development.

After leaving the mayor’s office, Chavez‑DeRemer worked as a business consultant for Evolve Health from 2019 until her election to Congress in 2022. Her consulting work involved advising health‑care organizations on operational efficiency and strategic planning.

Chavez‑DeRemer’s political ambitions extended beyond local government. In January 2016 she announced her candidacy for the Oregon House of Representatives District 51 as a Republican, seeking to represent the area that included parts of Clackamas County. She was endorsed by the Happy Valley City Council and by Democratic county commissioner Martha Schrader. The campaign focused on labor issues and automation, reflecting concerns about job security in the region. In the November 2016 general election, she was defeated by Democratic nominee Janelle Bynum.

She ran again for the same seat in 2018, facing Bynum once more. Despite a vigorous campaign that highlighted her experience with municipal governance and business consulting, Chavez‑DeRemer lost the second contest as well.

In late 2021, she shifted her focus to national office by declaring candidacy for Oregon’s fifth congressional district. By March 2022, she had raised significant campaign funds and secured victory in the Republican primary held on May 17. The November 2022 general election was highly competitive; Chavez‑DeRemer defeated Democratic nominee Jamie McLeod‑Skinner. Her election made her one of the first Latina members of Congress from Oregon and the first woman to represent the state’s fifth district at the federal level.

Cabinet tenure

In November 2024, following his inauguration as president-elect, Donald Trump nominated Chavez‑DeRemer for the position of Secretary of Labor. She appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in February 2025, during which she articulated a pro‑labor stance that emphasized support for workers’ rights while aligning with the administration’s broader policy agenda.

The full Senate confirmed her appointment in March 2025. She was sworn into office later that month, becoming the head of the U.S. Department of Labor and responsible for overseeing federal labor policies, workforce development programs, and workplace safety regulations.

During her tenure as secretary, Chavez‑DeRemer focused on labor issues consistent with the administration’s priorities, drawing upon her experience in local government and business consulting to shape policy discussions. However, her time in the role was cut short by investigations into alleged misconduct involving both herself and her husband. In April 2026, amid these inquiries, she announced her resignation from the cabinet position.

Legacy

Chavez‑DeRemer’s public service record is marked by several firsts for women of color in Oregon politics. As mayor of Happy Valley, she broke gender and ethnic barriers at the municipal level, becoming the city’s first woman and Latina leader. Her election to Congress represented a significant moment for Hispanic representation in the state, adding her to a small group of Latina legislators nationwide.

Her brief tenure as Secretary of Labor placed her among a relatively small cohort of women who have held that cabinet office. Although her service was short and concluded under investigation, she remains notable for being appointed by a president-elect outside the traditional career civil‑service pipeline, reflecting a broader trend of appointing political allies to key administrative positions.

Beyond her official roles, Chavez‑DeRemer’s career illustrates the intersection of local governance experience with national policymaking. Her background in business consulting and municipal leadership informed her approach to labor issues at both state and federal levels. While specific policy outcomes from her cabinet service are not detailed here, her presence in the Department of Labor contributed to a broader conversation about labor representation within the executive branch.

In sum, Lori Chavez‑DeRemer’s trajectory—from local council