Throughout Earl Blumenauer’s 28 years in the US House of Representatives, his constituents back home have taken a certain pride in knowing their congressman brought a distinctly Portland flair to Washington, D.C. 

The Democratic congressman, who will officially pass the baton to incoming Congresswoman Maxine Dexter on January 3, is known across the country for his signature bow tie and the colorful bike pin he wears on his lapel—the latter accessory representing his commitment to climate-friendly modes of transportation, especially the trusty bicycle. 

Although he hoped he’d be leaving D.C. under different political circumstances, Blumenauer says he feels good about what he’s done in Congress. 

“I’m ending on a very positive note for me, not so much for the country,” Blumenauer told the Mercury during a conversation in late November. Blumenauer served in Congress under five different presidential administrations, including Donald Trump’s previous presidency, and saw the results of the November election as a sign he made the right choice not to run for reelection. 

“I wasn’t going to spend two more years of my life serving in a dysfunctional Congress,” Blumenauer told the Mercury during a conversation in late November. “I could do more as a civilian.” 

Blumenauer's “bike-partisanship” 

Blumenauer, whose political career began in the Oregon State Legislature in 1972—when he was just 24 years old—hasn’t spent very much time as a “civilian.” He moved from the state legislature to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners and Portland City Council before taking over now-Senator Ron Wyden’s seat in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District in 1996. 

While on Portland City Council from 1986-1996, Blumenauer was in charge of overseeing the city’s public works departments, including the transportation bureau. In that role, he led the effort to build Portland’s modern streetcar system and developed his reputation as a strong advocate for bicycling in the city. 

Under Blumenauer’s leadership, the city of Portland began hosting events including the Neighbor Ride Event and BikeFest (precursors to Sunday Parkways and the Providence Bridge Pedal, respectively). 

After being elected to Congress, Blumenauer put his weight behind issues including healthcare reform, animal welfare, funding for public broadcasting, and cannabis decriminalization. But, at least to his constituents in Portland, Blumenauer is best known for his dedication to transportation infrastructure. 

For transportation and bike advocates in Portland and across the country, it’s been comforting and inspiring to have an ally like Blumenauer in the halls of Congress. Blumenauer founded the informal, bipartisan Congressional Bike Caucus as soon as was elected to Congress, which he most recently co-chaired with Florida Republican Vern Buchanan and Ayanna Pressley, a progressive Democrat and “Squad” member from Massachusetts. 

Blumenauer cites his relationship with Buchanan—a conservative Republican who voted largely in line with Trump during his first term—as an example of the importance and feasibility of bipartisanship even as the country is so politically divided. He’s even coined his own term for what he sees as the bicycle’s unique ability to bring people together. 

“I have very strong feelings about ‘bike-partisanship,’” Blumenauer said. “Throughout my career, I've been able to find Republicans and Democrats who understand the power of the bike, how it is one of those things that brings people together… when you're bringing people together on things they like, it can have a certain staying power.” 

But we live in an era when basic realities have become partisan issues. How is it possible to get Republicans to agree on expanding environmentally-friendly transportation options, for example, when many of them say they don’t believe in climate change? 

“There’s an ebb and flow there. Sometimes there’s more enthusiasm than at other times, but the key is to know where you’re going,” Blumenauer said. “Have goals that make sense, work on the planning process, and then take advantage of opportunities as they arise.” 

Still, Blumenauer acknowledged the reality that a second Trump administration puts federal investments in climate-friendly transportation projects at risk. But he thinks the kinds of infrastructure improvements he’s promoted and helped secure funding for have mass popularity and will be difficult to quash. 

“The Trump administration can plow [investments] back, make it harder to implement,” Blumenauer said. “But, as a practical matter, these are programs that are underway. They improve quality of life and safety, and they have their own momentum. The more we do this around the country, the more support there is to build.”

Here in Portland, Blumenauer’s legacy of supporting local transportation projects is cemented by the namesake car-free bridge over I-84, named in his honor. Recently, Blumenauer also led efforts to secure federal funding for initiatives including major safety improvement projects on 82nd Avenue and 122nd Avenue. The city has big plans to turn these dangerous roads into thriving, safe corridors, with abundant housing and access to transit. Blumenauer said he thinks these kinds of projects will bring changes everyone can enjoy. 

“In terms of housing, nobody is going to care if there's one less self-storage unit, or an Arby's parking lot,” he said. “These are things I’m excited to try and continue working on.”

Blumenauer’s future in Portland: "We've got our work cut out for us."  

Though Blumenauer has spent the last 28 years commuting back and forth between the West Coast and D.C., he’s a lifelong Portlander. He wants to spend the next phase of his life taking what he learned in Congress and applying it locally, which he says will be especially important as Portland transitions to a new form of government. 

“We've got our work cut out for us in Portland,” Blumenauer said. “I hope to make a contribution, in a small way, with some suggestions about the path forward here. I think the best advice I could give is to treat each other with respect and look for things that bring people together rather than divide them.” 

Blumenauer’s first task after leaving Congress will be at Portland State University, where he has accepted a senior fellowship and advisory position. He said he hopes to help develop a “closer connection between the city and the university.” 

“I feel strongly that PSU plays a vital role [in the city] and we can enhance that role,” Blumenauer said. “Portland doesn't recover without Portland State playing its role.” 

Blumenauer will join PSU’s faculty during a time of change for the university, too. PSU’s administration recently laid off 17 non-tenure track faculty, and many more adjunct professors, citing an $18 million budget deficit. Student enrollment at PSU has declined in recent years, and university leadership has faced criticism for its budget priorities. 

PSU was also the site of major protests last spring, with students rallying against Israel’s war in Gaza. Blumenauer himself faced backlash for his response to the war in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in a year and three months. Though the congressman called for the violence in Gaza to end and signed a letter calling for a cease-fire last May, advocates for Palestine called on him to act earlier. 

“Over a half a century, I have seen some vigorous protests on a wide variety of federal, state, local, and international issues. It’s part of the job, I accept it,” Blumenauer said in a written statement to the Mercury. “I always listen respectfully, but I don’t make my decision on a show of hands or even who shouts the loudest. My job is to make the best decision I can with the information available. After that, I let the chips fall where they may.” 

Blumenauer said he is proud of how Oregon has changed and “broken new ground” during his time in politics. 

“I fear sometimes we lose track of the amazing things we’ve done in this community,” he said. “I hope we can do a better job helping people understand what we’ve done. How we stopped the Mount Hood Freeway, how we turned Harbor Drive into a 37-acre waterfront park, what we did in terms of the Pearl and downtown development.” 

Blumenauer said he hopes he “may be able to help people remember what we’ve done and how we did it.” 

“Portland needs our best efforts,” he said. “Portland and Oregonians have been in the forefront of making a difference, and it's important that we not lose sight of that.”