Susheela Jayapal

Susheela Jayapal
Born	(1962-11-02) November 2, 1962 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation(s)	Politician, attorney
Years active	1994–present
Known for	First Indian American elected to a county position in Oregon; Multnomah County Commissioner (2019–2023)

Susheela Jayapal (born November 2, 1962) is an American political figure who served on the Multnomah County Commission in Oregon—the state's most populous county—from January 2019 until November 2023. She holds the distinction of being the first Indian American elected to a county position in Oregon.

She is the elder sibling of U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and the daughter of Indian author Maya Jayapal. Susheela sought the Democratic nomination for Oregon's 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election, ultimately losing the primary to Maxine Dexter.

Early life and education

Born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India to parents of Malayali heritage, Susheela Jayapal’s family relocated frequently due to her father's career, residing in cities such as Bangalore, Jakarta, and Singapore. She completed her secondary education in Jakarta before enrolling at Swarthmore College in the U.S. at age 16. Earning a degree in economics by age 20, she briefly worked at Goldman Sachs prior to attending the University of Chicago Law School, where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 1988.

Career

Jayapal launched her legal profession as a litigator in San Francisco before moving to Portland in 1994, where she joined the firm Ater Wynne. She subsequently served as head of legal affairs at Adidas and later contributed to various nonprofit organizations based in Portland.

Multnomah County Commission

Following her sister Pramila Jayapal’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Washington in 2016, Susheela initially hesitated to pursue a political career. However, after Donald Trump assumed office, she decided to run and secured a seat on the Multnomah County Commission in May 2018 with 24,543 votes (61.63%), prevailing over three opponents.

In October 2023, Jayapal advocated for prohibiting leaded gasoline usage at Portland International Raceway because of its close proximity to residential neighborhoods. She urged that Portland Parks & Recreation, the property's owner, investigate alternatives to auto racing activities.

2024 congressional candidacy

On October 31, 2023, following Representative Earl Blumenauer’s announcement that he would not seek reelection, Jayapal declared her resignation from the Multnomah County Commission to run for the Democratic nomination in Oregon's 3rd congressional district for the 2024 election. Her campaign received endorsements from Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez. Jesse Beason was appointed to fill her vacancy on the County Commission.

Her platform emphasized federal funding for public housing initiatives, gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, LGBTQ protections, and climate action. She supported eco-friendly public housing models aligned with proposals from the Green New Deal. In response to the ongoing Gaza war, Jayapal called for a sustainable humanitarian ceasefire and advocated ending unconditional U.S. aid to Israel.

In March 2024, Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed her candidacy, joining prior endorsements from Representatives Ro Khanna, Mark Pocan, and David Scott. Despite this support, she was defeated in the Democratic primary by Maxine Dexter, who benefited from significant independent expenditure spending—most notably approximately $2.2 million from 314 Action.

Personal life

In 1988, Susheela Jayapal wed Bradley Stuart Miller; the couple separated in 2014. She is a mother to two children and currently lives in Portland’s Sabin neighborhood.

External links

• Official website at Multnomah County