Jack Roberts (politician)

Jack Roberts
Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
In office
January 2, 1995 – January 6, 2003
Preceded by Mary Wendy Roberts
Succeeded by Dan Gardner
Lane County Commissioner
In office
1989–1995
Personal details
Born October 1952 (age 65–66)
Political party Republican
Residence Eugene, Oregon
Alma mater University of Oregon
Occupation Attorney at law, politician

Jack Roberts (born October 23, 1952) is an attorney and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon who served as the Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries from 1995 to 2003 and Director of the Oregon state Lottery from 2013 to 2016.

Career

A Republican, his highest elected office has been Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, which he held from 1995 to 2003.[1] Roberts was the first Republican elected Oregon labor commissioner in 40 years. In 1995, his first year in office, he supported legislation which was enacted making the office of Commissioner of Labor and Industries nonpartisan.

Roberts previously served as a Lane County commissioner from 1989 to 1995.[2] A nonpartisan office, Roberts was appointed in October, 1989, then elected in May, 1990 and reelected in 1992 before being elected labor commissioner in 1994, defeating four-term incumbent Mary Wendy Roberts (no relation). He was re-elected in 1998, defeating State Representative Mike Fahey. In that nonpartisan election, Roberts carried every county in Oregon.

Roberts, the most recent Republican to hold statewide office (other than U.S. Senate) in Oregon, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1996 (finishing well behind Senate President Gordon Smith and Superintendent of Public Instruction Normal Paulus in the special election primary in December, 1995) and for Governor of Oregon in 2002.[2] He was an early favorite in the three-way Republican primary, but ultimately finished second behind nominee Kevin Mannix. He was considered a contender to take on incumbent U.S. Senator Ron Wyden in 2004, but did not enter the race.[3] He also ran for the Oregon Supreme Court in 2006,[4][5] coming in first in a three-way primary but then losing to Virginia Linder in the general election.

On April 27, 2016, Oregon Governor Kate Brown fired Roberts, citing "management problems".[6]

Personal life

An attorney, Roberts lives in Eugene[7] where he grew up. Roberts is a graduate of Sheldon High School (1971) and the University of Oregon School of Journalism (B.S., 1975). He also has degrees from the University of Oregon School of Law (J.D., 1978) and the New York University School of Law (LL.M. in Taxation, 1980)

From 2009 to 2013, Roberts wrote a biweekly political column for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland.

Roberts was the executive director of the Lane Metro Partnership, a nonprofit economic development agency, from January 2003. until September 2013.[8] In October 2013, he was selected to be the director of the Oregon Lottery by Governor John Kitzhaber and was confirmed by the Oregon State Senate the following November.[7]

Writings by Jack Roberts

  • Roberts, Jack (November 28, 2009). "Getting 'global' in our thinking about global warming". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (January 7, 2010). "Measures 66 and 67: A reluctant vote in favor". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (August 21, 2010). "Before there was a Tea Party there was Barry Goldwater and his book". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (September 9, 2010). "What's a conflict of interest: Considering the scope of state ethics laws (Kitzhaber & Hayes)". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (February 10, 2011). "The Brewing Court Battle Over Health Care Reform". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (September 22, 2011). "University of Oregon: Pursuing excellence in a state committed to mediocrity". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (October 6, 2011). "Is Rick Perry confused on immigration or are we?". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (August 9, 2012). "Alberto Salazar and Nike deliver on their Oregon Project with world-class runners". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (October 4, 2012). "Labor v. environmentalists: Democrats split over coal". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (with Angus Duncan) (November 10, 2012). "Bipartisanship needed: Keeping climate science and climate politics apart". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (December 13, 2012). "Nike gives Oregon an early Christmas Present". The Oregonian.
  • Roberts, Jack (December 27, 2012). "Political parties are playing a dangerous game with the fiscal cliff". The Oregonian.

References

  1. ↑ "Bureau of Labor and Industries - Agency History". Oregon Bluebook (Online). Oregon Secretary of State. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
  2. 1 2 Jack Roberts
  3. ↑ Hamilton, Don (February 25, 2003). "GOP seeks key to Wyden fortress". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  4. ↑ Nonpartisan Candidates: Judge of the Supreme Court
  5. ↑ Judicial election questionnaire
  6. ↑ Mapes, Jeff. "Gov. Brown Fires Oregon Lottery Director Over Agency Management" www.opb.org. April 27, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Esteve, Harry (October 18, 2013). "John Kitzhaber names ex-labor commissioner Jack Roberts to run Oregon Lottery". The Oregonian. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Russo, Edward (September 20, 2013). "Roberts bows out at Lane Metro". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
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