President Wagner grew up in his Senate district and graduated from Lake Oswego High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Portland State University and master's degree in public policy from George Washington University. President Wagner's introduction to the Oregon Legislature came as a legislative aide in the Oregon House of Representatives in the late 1990s. His passion for education led him to a position with the American Federation of Teachers – Oregon, where he spent a decade advocating for Oregon’s teachers, faculty, healthcare workers, and academic support professionals. He went on to become the Associate Vice President of College Advancement for Portland Community College overseeing community outreach and working to secure student scholarship funding. President Wagner led the Democratic caucus during the COVID-19 pandemic as Senate Majority Leader. Under his leadership, the Senate has passed more than 90% of its legislation with bipartisan support, approved the largest K-12 and higher education budgets in state history, and tackled the biggest issues facing our state, including housing affordability and future-proof job growth.
