PORTLAND, Ore. – Elizabeth Furse, who represented northwestern Oregon in Congress for three terms in the 1990s, has died from complications related to a fall, her former husband said.
She was 84 and died Sunday, said John Platt. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that Furse championed the rights of Native Americans and helped five Oregon tribes regain federal recognition.
She also worked to advance the rights of women, children and farm workers and advocated for peace and nuclear disarmament and environmental regulation and land use rules.
The Democrat was first elected in 1992 to the U.S. House representing Oregon’s 1st District without ever having held elected office before.