Meet Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s pick for labour secretary who Democrats like: from growing up in a farming community, to becoming a mayor in Oregon and Trump’s choice – for her pro-union stance

Feb 23 , 2025

Lori Chavez-DeRemer was a surprising pick by US President Donald Trump for labour secretary. Photos: TNS; @lchavezderemer/Instagram

The mother of 2 advanced her political career with a little help from her Teamster father; she was also a partner in her doctor husband’s anaesthesiology business

US President Donald Trump’s choice of labour secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has been called one of his most surprising political appointments, but also one of his most liked, especially by Democrats. That’s because the 56-year-old is “pro-union”, working hard to promote the agenda of the workforce in the US.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union stance has won her support from Democrats. Photo: AP

Chavez-DeRemer was the first Republican woman to represent Oregon in the House and one of the first two Hispanic women to be elected to Congress from Oregon, in 2022.

Here’s how this mum of two went from being a mayor to holding one of the most powerful positions among the Maga crowd.

Her father helped her political career

Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s father, Richard Chavez, used his labour connections to help his daughter’s political ascent. Photo: @lchavezderemer/Instagram

Per The New Yorker, Chavez-DeRemer was raised in California by her father, Richard Chavez, who has been described as a Mexican-American “Teamster”. A Teamster is a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labour union in the US and Canada.

Bloomberg Law reports that it was Richard who leaned on his labour contacts to help his daughter as she sought endorsements in her political career. His influence helped, with the Portland-area Teamsters council committing their support to Chavez-DeRemer, the first time it had backed a Republican for Congress in more than 20 years, reports The New Yorker.

Becoming Trump’s pick

Lori Chavez-DeRemer (far right) went from being a mayor to one of the most powerful Maga appointees. Photo: @lchavezderemer/Instagram

The Plan Sponsor Council of America reported Trump’s nomination of Chavez-DeRemer as a nod to the labour support he received during his election campaign, particularly from the Teamsters. At the same time, Chavez-DeRemer seems to have bridged the divide between Republicans and Democrats, with The Atlantic calling her, “The one Trump pick Democrats actually like”. That’s because as a congresswoman, the former mayor of Happy Valley city, Oregon, was one of just three House Republicans to co-sponsor the PRO Act, a bill that aimed to make unionising easier and expand labour protection for union members, per The Atlantic.