1. Elizabeth Furse was a Kenya Colony-born American small business owner and former faculty member of Portland State University.
11 Facts About Elizabeth Furse
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Elizabeth Furse was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999, representing Oregon's 1st congressional district.
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Elizabeth Furse was a Democrat, and was the first naturalized US citizen born in Africa to win election to the United States Congress.
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Elizabeth Furse moved to England in 1956, before eventually moving to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, California.
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In 1994, Elizabeth Furse, called by one Northwest newspaper the "antithesis of Congress' traditional play-it-safe politicians", won reelection by 301 votes, defeating businessman Bill Witt during a year when the Republican Revolution produced a 54-seat gain for her opponent's party.
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Elizabeth Furse spearheaded the associated educational program, "Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times" video interviews Her continued involvement in Native American affairs brought her some attention during US Senate campaigns for her high-profile endorsements of Senator Gordon Smith.
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Elizabeth Furse's continued support during the 2008 campaign included praise for Smith as "one of the first to stand up to George Bush and other Republicans to end this war".
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In 2014, Elizabeth Furse stood for election to the Washington County Board of Commissioners in District 4, but lost the race to incumbent Commissioner Bob Terry.
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Elizabeth Furse ran with the endorsements of Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and former Governors Barbara Roberts and Ted Kulongoski.
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Elizabeth Furse was a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.
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Elizabeth Furse died on April 18,2021, at age 84, at her farm near Hillsboro, of complications from a fall.