Senator Elizabeth Steiner Contact information

Elizabeth Steiner, also known as Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, is a Democratic member of the Oregon Senate, representing the 17th District. She was born on April 5, 1963, in Massachusetts, U.S. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts. After completing her education, she moved to Oregon in 1991.

Steiner was first appointed to the Oregon Senate in December of 2011 by commissioners from Multnomah and Washington counties following the resignation of her predecessor, Suzanne Bonamici. With strong support from her district, she returned to the Senate in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

When she’s not at the Capitol, Steiner works at Oregon Health & Sciences University where she teaches medical students and residents as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. She is a past President of the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians.

Steiner is originally from the Northeast, but she knew Oregon was her true home almost as soon as she moved there in 1991. She lives in Northwest Portland and has three adult children. Her youngest child works in the tech industry, her middle child is a freelance writer and lives in SW Portland with her partner, and her eldest has returned to school at PSU (Go Vikings!) and lives in NW Portland with her partner.

In the legislative interim, Steiner spends much of her time in the district learning more about the needs and priorities of her community or attending conferences and seminars where she collaborates with professionals and legislators from other states on how to improve public policy across a wide spectrum of issues and develop sound budgets.

As a citizen, education remains one of her top priorities. While her children were in school, she frequently volunteered at their school. For many years, she served as a Girl Scout Troop leader and camp physician, and she has remained active with her congregation on the board or clergy search committees of Congregation Neveh Shalom since 2004.

She has also been an active member of the National Council of Physician Legislators since she was elected and is now Co-Chair. She also served on the board of the National Association of Jewish Legislators for the majority of her tenure in the legislature.

On September 13, 2023, Steiner announced her candidacy for State Treasurer in the 2024 election. If elected, she would be the first female treasurer in the state’s history.