About

Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. is committed to using her experience as a mother, physician, organizer and elected official to help ensure every Oregonian has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life in the community of their choice.  

She grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a working-class family. At 16, she was proud to get a union-job at Albertsons, which helped her pursue higher education and become the first in her family to graduate from college. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science and communications from the University of Washington and went on to attend the university’s school of medicine.  

After completing her medical training, Dexter moved to Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children. She practiced for over 15 years as a lung and critical care physician at Kaiser Permanente where she was elected to serve her physician group and became the first woman to be Chair of the Board of Directors at Northwest Permanente. Her experience as a physician and business leader are foundational to her dedication to making data-driven decisions that center people, health, and economic opportunity for all. 

In 2020, Dexter was appointed to serve Oregon’s 33rd District in the Oregon House of Representatives. Focused on healthcare and meeting the basic needs of Oregonians, she was honored to become Chair of the House Housing and Homelessness Committee where she led the effort to pass a groundbreaking, multi-billion-dollar bill to address the housing and homelessness crisis. She also championed critical legislation to protect abortion access, expand addiction treatment services, protect our public lands, and combat gun violence. 

In 2024, Dexter was honored to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She represents Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Multnomah County, Northeastern Clackamas County, and all of Hood River County. 

In Congress, Dexter serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She is committed to making sure every Oregonian has the same opportunity she had growing up in the Northwest—to achieve the American dream, building a better future for themselves and their families than their parents had been able to do.  

To make such opportunity possible, she is focused on improving the air we breathe, the climate, housing, our healthcare system, and the safety of our communities for every person, regardless of immigration status. At every level of public service, Dexter has worked to ensure the people she serves have the opportunity not just to get by, but to thrive.