Tony Meeker is a politician in Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. He was appointed State Treasurer

Oregon State Treasurer

The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads the Oregon State Treasury, and with the Governor...

 in 1987. Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt

Neil Goldschmidt

Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...

 appointed him to fill the vacancy created when Bill Rutherford resigned from office. Meeker was elected to a full term in 1988. He had also served in the Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

 and in the Oregon State Senate

Oregon State Senate

The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...

.

Meeker was born in Amity, Oregon

Amity, Oregon

Amity is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 1,614.-History:The town was established between 1848 and 1849 by Joseph and Ahio S. Watt, two brothers who had immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail. Part of Joseph’s land claim became the...

 in 1939.

Appointment to statewide office

In 1986, Tony Meeker ran for Congress against Democrat Les AuCoin

Les AuCoin

Walter Leslie "Les" AuCoin , is an American politician and the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from since it was formed in 1882. The seat has been held by a Democrat ever since....

 in Oregon's first congressional district. After losing to AuCoin, Meeker returned to the State Senate to continue his fifth term representing citizens in portions of Yamhill

Yamhill County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...

 and Marion

Marion County, Oregon

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...

 counties. Oregon State Treasurer Bill Rutherford announced he was stepping down to take a position in an investment firm in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. On July 9, 1987 Democratic Governor Neil Goldschmidt appointed Meeker, a Republican, to replace Rutherford, also a Republican, to fill the remainder of Rutherford's term. He made a second unsuccessful bid for U.S. Congress in 1992, losing to Elizabeth Furse

Elizabeth Furse

Elizabeth Furse is a small business owner and faculty member of Portland State University. She was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999, representing Oregon's 1st congressional district...

.