Senator Merkley studied international relations at Stanford and earned a graduate degree in Public Policy at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He worked as a national security analyst at the Pentagon and at the Congressional Budget Office, and in 1991returned to Oregon to lead Portland’s Habitat for Humanity. While at Habitat, Merkley led the neighborhood in shutting down Portland’s worst crack market, developed the Habitat Home Building Center, and launched a pilot project to establish Portland Youthbuilders. Merkley later served as President of the Oregon World Affairs Council. Merkley’s interest in public office is an extension of his passion about building a better America - asking the simple question: “What is best for our children, our workers, our families, and our planet?” Merkley won his first campaign for State Representative in 1998, was elected Democratic Leader in 2003 and Speaker in 2007. As Oregon’s House Speaker, Merkley emphasized a culture of bipartisan problem solving, passed landmark environmental and energy legislation, established domestic partnerships, cracked down on predatory payday and title lending, and created Oregon’s first ever Rainy Day fund.